Cranelli's Italian Restaurant

Heard about the garlic knots and yes they are so good! So good that my photo was blurry. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal! This place is a frequent go to spot!

Absolutely Incredible - Cranelli's is Pure Magic! This place is phenomenal on every single level! From the moment you walk through the doors, Cranelli's Italian Restaurant creates an experience that's nothing short of extraordinary. The hospitality here is unmatched - from the hostess who greets you with genuine warmth to the servers who treat you like beloved family. They've mastered the art of making every guest feel like they're sitting around nonna's table on a Sunday afternoon, surrounded by love and the most incredible aromas. It's hospitality elevated to an art form. And let's talk about those garlic knots - if it's your first visit, they're complimentary, and oh my goodness, they are absolutely to die for! Perfectly golden, buttery, garlicky perfection that sets the tone for what's to come. It's such a thoughtful touch that immediately shows you the level of care this place operates with. Every single dish I've experienced here has been phenomenal. The flavors are bold, authentic, and soul-satisfying in a way that only true Italian cooking can deliver. This isn't just Italian-inspired food - this is the real deal, 100% authentic cuisine that transports you straight to Italy with every bite. The attention to detail in preparation and presentation is remarkable. The passion for quality ingredients and traditional techniques shines through in every aspect of the meal. You can taste the love and heritage in every dish, and it's clear that authenticity isn't just a goal here - it's a way of life. I cannot urge you strongly enough to experience Cranelli's for yourself. This is destination dining that will create memories you'll treasure. You absolutely will not regret it. Buon appetito e che la vostra tavola sia sempre piena di amore e sapori meravigliosi!

At first I was not too excited to sit in the very back corner of the bar by the kitchen however it did not matter. The atmosphere was welcoming and service was spectacular. The food was amazing. We had the mushrooms and strawberry salad for starters and then had the Bolognese and Lacinda specialty. We definitely will be back. We love supporting locally owned!

Sooooooooo good! Got the chicken parmesan and the waitress reccomended the Diablo sauce, great call! So good. First time there so they offered me some garlic knots which I enjoyed because they weren't overly caked with garlic like some places

I’m reluctant to leave a review as I want to keep this place a secret and hog their exquisite pastas for myself. Cranelli’s has quickly become our go-to joint for Italian fare and I’m not kidding when I say you’ll want to lick the plate clean for almost any pasta dish you get! And our favorite part is that you can always get a half-portion, so you can try two different ones each time you go—(I highly recommend the Chicken Genovese, but you can’t miss with any of them really). Service is always friendly and it’s very cool that they employ a lot of high school aged kids who work very hard to help keep the atmosphere clean and lively. Perfect for a date-night, big family gathering, or even just to sit at the bar solo for a drink and dish. Pros: Top notch menu and service. Cons: Very limited seating/parking (it fills up fast so make sure to make a reservation), small portions for happy-hour food (a con for a guy like me with a huge appetite but could be the perfect size for some).

First time here and the food was absolutely delicious. We can see why they have won so many local awards. Really, really good Italian food. Since it was our first time, our waitress (Meagan I believe) gave us the garlic knots on the house. Super nice gesture and made an instant great first impression. They were awesome. The only negatives were that I did not receive a Caesar salad as requested, which is totally not a big deal. They were super busy, even though we had a 7:30 reservation and I could tell everyone there was working super hard. Also, I left absolutely stuffed and the salad wasn't on the bill so honestly, no harm no foul. The other thing was that it was kind of loud in there, again they were booked up. But the atmosphere there is really awesome and the place is super cool and rustic. Prices were decent, but I don't mind paying for really excellent food, which this was. Overall a great experience and cannot wait to come back and try other dishes.

Excellent Italian restaurant. Stopped in here for dinner and wasn't disappointed. The garlic knots were outstanding as everyone is correct in recommending them. The buratta also was very well done. I had the Caesar salad and the baked ziti for my main course. Had the canolli for dessert which was yummy. The flavors in both were spot on and not overwhelming. The wine we had was excellent too. Service was friendly and extremely knowledgeable. We got great recommendations and input on our choices. Overall highly recommended.

One of the best restaurants we have been to! We heard about Cranelli's from my coworker and thought it would be a good stop to celebrate my mom's birthday while in Denver. We were greeted by the owner Lasinda. The atmosphere was welcoming and also modern, whole in the wall feel. Right away I was blown away that the menu had labels for GF, DF, and vegan because I'm allergic to dairy and have never come across that. The drinks and food were amazing!! We loved that there were options for portion sizes. It was so delicious and fresh! You could tell love was put into the dishes. I've never seen my 5 year old eat like that, and I'm not sure he'll ever eat my tomato sauce from a jar spaghetti again. Lasinda made us feel like regulars, and stopped to say hi to everyone. We had such a great experience, we will be making the trek to go back. Definitely a favorite!

We enjoyed every plate we ordered. It was weekday, but restaurant was packed during dinner time. Make sure you make reservation ahead of time. All of the wait staff and greeters were very attentive and helpful. Will be back for sure.

great service, great gluten free pasta, great appetizers! we work nearby and love stopping by for lunch or any celebrations. the patio is great now, they really invested in their atmosphere!!

Believe the reviews, this place is the real deal! We sat at the bar, the bartenders were attentive, nice, and knowledgeable. Garlic knots for $4 is a must, the marinara is so flavorful, we also got the eggplant Parmesan and baked ziti with meatballs. Delicious. Vibe is great, probably want a reservation on weekends but bar is open seating. Calamari would be a good addition to the appetizer menu.

We used Cranelli's for our rehearsal dinner in September 2025 with a group of 50 people. WOW!! The food was absolutely delicious, we loved the garlic knots, lobster ravioli, and authentic Italian cookies and cannolis, and the service was exceptional. Lashinda, the owner, was at our event - she was so kind and made sure everything ran smoothly. She even held the leftovers at the restaurant over the weekend so that we could enjoy them for our wedding afterparty! The pricing was very reasonable and more affordable than other venues we looked at. Thanks to Lexi and Wendy for helping in the planning process!

I’m writing to express my sincere gratitude to the owners of this restaurant for the incredible dining experience we had recently. The service was impeccable, and the food was simply amazing and delicious. It was truly a memorable meal. My son recently returned from college, and we decided to surprise him with his favorite restaurant. It was a wonderful gesture, the owner Lasinda and front of house Aaron stopped by to welcome him and wish him a happy birthday. It was a truly special moment. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience. You won’t be disappointed!

Super good food, love this place as a vegan! Food is clearly labeled and the server was super helpful to accommodate my vegan diet! Also LOVE that they bring a little refill of your drink of choice with your drink. I down diet coke so it was nice to immediately have my refill ready to go!

The food was very delicious. The servicer, staff were extremely friendly. You could feel they were glad you were there. We were made to feel very welcome while having a great tasting meal. Most enjoyable experience. We will return.

I absolutely love this place! The food is so good every single time.. truly the best Italian around. The staff is incredibly attentive, and the whole vibe is perfect whether you’re inside or out on the patio. Even in the winter, the patio stays warm, covered, and super cozy. I’ve been here several times now, and it never disappoints. I haven't been to breakfast there yet but plan to go this weekend! Highly recommend!

We ate here last night and this Italian restaurant was excellent in all aspects. The cozy atmosphere and friendly staff from the hostess to wait staff added to the experience. There were some large parties being accommodated and so a reservation is likely recommended. Without reservations, we sat at the bar but were offered high tops as well. Their marinara is a 10 and the 6 hour homemade lasagna is amazing. We also had the half order of chicken piccata that had excellent flavor and ample size. Their happy hour is 2-5:30 every day including weekends and offers excellent $6 apps and 50% off wine! We sat at the bar and bartenders Ryan and Mel were professional and super friendly. Every recommendation they offered up was perfect. We will be back soon and recommend this to anyone in the area.

I came here after a recommendation from a coworker, and I was not disappointed! I decided to come for a date night with my partner after a stressful few weeks and Andres Took a great care of us! We got the garlic knots as an appetizer and they were heavenly. Might go to is always chicken Parmesan and it was absolutely delicious! My boyfriend is not the biggest fan of Italian food, but he ate his entire plate before I was even halfway finished with mine! The only somewhat bad thing I can say is that when we were first seated, we were seated by one of the televisions playing sports, and there were some rather loud people in that corner by the bar. But I quickly just went up to the whole stand and asked if we could be seated somewhere a little bit quieter away from that loud group and that was no issue! 10 out of 10 service and delicious food! I made sure to take half of my chicken Parmesan home so that I could try the tiramisu and I’m glad that I did! I’m excited to have it for lunch again today lol. We will definitely be back.

This place was popular! We got to personally meet the owner and she seated us herself. She was incredibly nice and she really impressed me with her willingness to jump in herself. She had amazing recommendations and let us know all about our options before she went. She could be seen talking to as many tables as she could and greeting anybody who she saw. It seemed as if customers were treated like guests visiting her home and she the hostess making sure her guests were cared for. Their gluten free selection was amazing! Our server was very friendly, knowledgeable and had great recommendations. I highly recommend making reservations, but even if you stroll in the hostesses take great care of you and communicate well. What a phenomenal experience. I look forward to our next visit.

If I could give more stars I absolutely would! We came to this place and they were very busy. We did not have reservations, but the owner was so amazing and gracious she fit us in right away and I have never gotten service as wonderful as this. The food was amazing! We would definitely come back. thank you, Lucinda for your excellent service. Your staff was just as wonderful!

Cranelli's isserving outstanding Italian food in Lone Tree! The chicken parmesan with their homemade red sauce was fork-tender and delucious! My side of spaghetti with garlic and oil was perfect. And the garlic knots are a fan favorite. This is my favorite kind of place..family owned and operated with attention to every detail. Manager Jess runs a friendly and efficient crew. I will be back!

I had Cranelli’s cater the food for a party of 30 people. Everyone made a point to say how good the food was. They were prompt on the delivery time, set up the buffet, everything, kept hot, all entries were fresh, and enjoyable.

Fantastic! We called to see if we could get in and they made room for us. The owner came over and greeted us personally and made us feel right at home. The gluten free bread was some of the best we've ever had, and the entrees were equally fantastic! We live over an hour away and would definitely make the drive again.

I’ve never run to review a restaurant so fast. The parking was a little limited, but we parked across the street and walked over, didn’t want to wait on limited places. We ordered the garlic knots and Arancini as appetizers. So delicious!!! Our entrees were fantastic. The flavors of this food from this restaurant were incredible. The waitress was fantastic, she was slammed with tables and we never felt ignored as she let us know how busy they were and kept our glasses full . The rest of the wait staff helping out made us feel like we were visiting family. 100% recommend!!!! Will visit again!

This is exceptional food and service in a A- B+ atmosphere it’s not going to be as fancy as some places, waiters are noting going to be wearing ties or sports jackets but the food is really very very good and we have always been happy. If you want good food and don’t want to mess around with more formal locations check them out. ( as a note the location and atmosphere is superior to 90% of restaurants you will find in Italy itself )

We used Cranelli’s to cater our wedding and they were fabulous! Everyone raved about the food, drinks, and service. They truly went above and beyond, and helped ease any wedding jitters while helping to bring our big day to life. 11/10 recommend!

We dined here last night, and this Italian restaurant was outstanding across the board. The cozy atmosphere and welcoming staff, from the hostess to the wait team, really enhanced the experience. They were accommodating several large parties, so making a reservation is probably a good idea. Since we didn’t have one, we sat at the bar but were also offered high-top seating. The marinara sauce was a perfect 10, and the six-hour homemade lasagna was incredible. We also shared a half order of chicken piccata, which had fantastic flavor and a generous portion size. Their happy hour runs daily from 2 to 5:30 p.m., including weekends, and features great $6 appetizers and 50% off wine. We sat at the bar, and bartenders Ryan and Mel were professional, friendly, and spot-on with their recommendations. We’ll definitely be back soon and highly recommend this spot to anyone in the area.

We’ve never had a more pleasant dining experience. The staff were super friendly, the owner came by and made sure we were taken care of, and the other guests were all very nice. The food, drinks, and dessert were amazing. They have a generous 20% military discount and were very welcoming of our two dogs. The covered outdoor seating was heated and very comfortable. Stop by if you are in the area, you won’t want to miss this place!

What a pleasant experience. My husband and I came in with our baby and really enjoyed our time. The owner helped us get our baby in a clamp-seat (all the high chairs were being used) and was so friendly and on-top of things. Our server was wonderful- friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. The food was very good, the only reason I left off a star was because my chicken was on the dry side, and the kids spaghetti was over-salted, but my husband’s carbonara was really good and they did not skimp on the bacon! We also really enjoyed the aperol spritzes and garlic knots. We’re looking forward to returning!

This is my first restaurant review but I was so blown away by this place that I had to share! I am blessed with a daughter who likes to treat me to lunch. Always somewhere different. Most places totally forgettable. Then she brought me to Cranelli’s! Wow! From our incredibly sweet, knowledgeable server (Sorry I don’t remember her name, but she was our server on 2/13 around 12:00 That girl definitely deserves accolades . She was great!) Anyway, the food came. I ordered Linguini & Clams. I almost literally fell on the floor! It was so delicious! I’m an east coast girl raised on clams, so I have very high standards. Your food made me feel like I was home again. Thank you! My daughter & I already have plans to come back next week 😊

Stopped by Cranelli’s over the weekend for some Italian food. We have eaten here a few years ago, so was excited to return. We had a late lunch, so not so busy on a Sunday afternoon. We had Fettuccine Alfredo, Pasta Alla Vodka and Aglio E Olio with clams. Flavor was very good. The chicken in the Pasta Alla Vodka was a bit chewy as it was sitting pre-cooked and added later. Clam meal had a very generous portion of clams and the Alfredo was also very good. We started with Arancini - which were excellent.

This became one of my favorite places when I became Celiac. I’m not sure if the portion sizes have gone down considerably, but I wouldn’t recommmend getting food to go on a specialty occasion such as Mother’s Day, etc. The food is amazing! You can tell it’s made with love, however the portion size I received on Mother’s Day could’ve easily fed my toddler. I think they were super busy just trying to keep up on orders so the food was being portioned out scarcely. For $39 for a gluten free marinara spaghetti I expected a little more; especially in these economically tough times.

If I could give it 4.5 - 4.75 stars, I would. Craving a white sangria, the bar tenders didnt disappoint. The large glass was refreshing and sweet, and perfect after being the sun all day. On the menu, I liked that they offered half plates for most of the pasta dishes (boo that the linguine and clams wasn't one of them). So I tried a half plate of their "hidden gem": the chicken cacciatore, and it was very good. Cooked perfectly, just the perfect serving portion. But here's my only quibble about it, it had too much of a Tabasco forward flavor. Maybe a tad less of it woulda made it perfect. But it certain didnt ruin my experience. I plan to return.

This place feels nice and service is good. But food isn’t as much, at least not for me. I had a Linguine & Clams and my wife had a Chicken Cacciatore - unfortunately both way too sour. I usually like sourness but this is too much. It felt like they squeezed a whole lemon in my linguine. It totally covered the umami flavor in it. Though, the appetizer was good. Tried Burruta and liked it. I won’t come back and won’t recommend it. It feels overrated on Google.

This restaurant can be a hit or miss. The food is exceptional—some of the best Italian cuisine in the area—and I appreciate that it’s a family-owned establishment. However, there are some notable drawbacks. The owner is very hands-on in the restaurant’s operations, which, while admirable, creates an unusual atmosphere. I wouldn’t say the staff appears uncomfortable, but there’s something about the dynamic that feels off. At times, it seems more like the owner’s personal space than a welcoming dining environment. Service is also inconsistent. The waitstaff often seems distracted, possibly due to the owner’s presence, which makes them appear overly cautious in their interactions. Additionally, there seems to be an issue with understaffing. Regular patrons who know the owner receive excellent service, while new or occasional visitors may feel overlooked. To be clear, this review is based on multiple visits—I’ve been here three times, and this has been my consistent experience. I understand this business has been around for a while, and I’m not trying to bring it down, just sharing my observations. The restaurant has great potential, but the overall dynamic feels off.

Lovely restaurant. Appetizers like the burrata were delicious. Desserts were fantastic. Unfortunately 2 of us had to send back our meals as there was no flavor. But the owners seemed amazing!

Was seated at 515 on a Sunday. No problem. I mentioned I was with my Family and my 82 year old Mother in Law. The lady that was in charge of the seating as I walked in rudley interrupted me in a rush to get to the hostess. The hostess seated us right in the main causeway from the bar and I couldn't even have a conversation with my Family during this time because it was so Loud. I do like their food but tonight was an absolute disaster and the Manager came over to ask me how my experience was and I told him I couldn't even talk to anyone and he mentioned the new acoustical panels in the ceiling that were just installed. Decent Food-Bad overall experience as I couldn't have a Conversation and I left with a headache and my ears ringing. Don't think I'll be back.

Your local neighborhood Italian restaurant that’s probably better than All Italian restaurants in Metro Denver and it’s located in Lone Tree. I have been here a hand full of times and even though the food is definitely a step above other Italian restaurants I sometimes have to question who is preparing the food and who is Not making sure the food is hot before server brings to the table. The garlic knots are really good but sometimes they are Not cooked to perfection (It happens) The Salads are always fresh and taste great no issues Now I have ordered the lasagna on several occasions and sometimes it’s hot which is great but there are other times when it’s warm or even below warm temperatures to where I have to send it back which they say the oven wasn’t at operating temp so if that’s the case then why send out if it’s not hot ? Double check the food Now I have been sticking to calzones and they always come out hot (Don’t have to send back) So what can be the difference? I don’t know but regardless of the correct temp of food it’s still the best small mom and pop Italian restaurant going! If you never been here to this Italian restaurant the Parking Lot Is Sometimes difficult to find a spot but at the busy time of night evenings You can park at the credit union without being towed.

Let me give some context because this experience was beyond frustrating. I’ve been on a strict diet since the beginning of January and only allow myself one cheat meal a month. It was snowing, we had been working outside all day (in the snow) we were cold, exhausted, and just wanted a hot meal. We called in our order while driving. Over the phone, we were told the total was $117.17. When we arrived, we handed over a $10 cash tip for a TO-GO order—literally all that was done was taking the order and entering it into the system. After paying, our total somehow came out to $143.00. Only after looking at the receipt did we realize they had added an automatic 20% gratuity—with zero disclosure. We were not told over the phone, and nowhere on their website does it say there is an auto-gratuity for takeout orders. Had we been informed, we absolutely would have gone elsewhere or just bought groceries and saved a ton of money. We specifically wanted to support a local business, and this felt incredibly deceptive. Something could have easily said, “You don’t need to tip—we’ve already included it,” but instead said nothing. To make matters worse, the main courses were gross. I’ve eaten at Cranelli’s before and it was good, which is why we went back. This time? Not even close. We ordered an appetizer, spaghetti with bolognese, chicken parmesan, and two desserts—for over $100—and the food did not taste normal at all. I couldn’t even finish my meal. Between the hidden charges and the drastic drop in food quality, this was a complete disappointment. Needless to say, we will not be returning. (P.s. the reason for two stars is because my fiancé feels bad for leaving a review, otherwise for me the deception is worth the one star alone).

I used to like this restaurant because it wasn’t as busy and loud as it gotten recently. They put up wall dividers in already a small place to fit as many people as they can. The garlic knots are always undercooked!! The dishes are overpriced for what they are, doesn’t taste like authentic Italian cuisine. Some of their drinks are hit or miss. They’re either too strong or bad in general. P.S Regarding the owners comment. I did tell them that the new Irish martini was horrible it was so bitter and grainy ( the waiter agreed) The garlic knots don’t look undercooked from the outside, but are very doughy on the inside… This is my honest review I’m not on here with personal agenda against this restaurant… btw the owner changed her original statement, it was very unprofessional. I love Italian food but this place isn’t it…