Great food, one of the best local family run restaurants. Favorite place for special occasions and when friends and family visit.

Shrimp Piccata and Short Ribs were just a good as the service. Beautiful restaurant with a very nice patio.

Twila Arritt

Delicious Thanksgiving meal . Turkey with all the trimmings, salmon, ravioli, short ribs. Desserts were refreshing, I chose the Chocolate Mousse that was topped with a variety of delightful fresh fruit. The restaurant was busy, yet we never felt rushed. Excellent formal dining service.

kacie sharon

Cafe Roma ily 😘 True fine dining and BEST ITALIAN in the entire central coast! TRUST me i’m Italian 🤌🏻 The waiters and waitresses here are always friendly and kind, no matter what time of night and what the crowd is. EVERYTHING We’ve tried here has been outstanding and flavorful. The last time somehow was even more exceptional. Truly a gem of a place. Compliments to the chefs because this is the best meal we’ve ever had. Great escargot, wonderful calamari, and their Wednesday menus are to die for at such an affordable price. We will never stop coming here! The photos I’ve attached include the Capellini Pomodoro and the Wednesday Pork Belly special.

Mr. Sheridan

Went out to family dinner with reservations for 6. The owner was in-house and greeted customers as well as bid them farewell, which was nice to see. The food was absolutely delicious. The service was great and it was a full house. Everyone at the table enjoyed their dish. This is THE place to be if you want real Italian food.

Harold Ritter

Best Italian restaurant 😋 on the central coast (Paso to Santa Maria) - luxurious ambiance, professional service, BYOB, fabulous food, this is a gem 💎 - only took me 18 years to hear about it 🙃

Mary Sendall

We went with another couple and dinner and conversation was lovely. My husband tried the soup, a lovely tomato potato bisque and I had the beet salad. Both were very good. Our friend tried the Mahi Mahi special served with roasted potatoes which was so good she finished it all. Her husband had thin spaghetti with bolognese sauce that he enjoyed as well. My husband had chicken with potatoes and carrots. He said it was moist and very well cooked. I had squash Ravioli with white sauce that was perfect. We had a creme brulee and canolli for dessert. Our waitress was very friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant. It will be a go to spot.

D MzK

Excellent experience! The food was great, atmosphere was comfortable, and the service was outstanding. Would recommend Cafe Roma for any special occasions. Price's are a little high, but the all around quality represents why.

Aaron DeHart

The food was quite good. Our server Sandra, was awesome! My wife is vegan/plant base. Alrhough there's no option on the menu for her, Sandra and my wife discussed her options, and my wife loved her plate. A big thank you!

Quiet Storm

Amazing atmosphere, and friendly staff. The chicken Parmesan was phenomenal. the tortelli De Zuca was good, but it was way too sweet it’s ravioli filled with a candied squash. But aside from that I truly enjoyed my visit and will return when I come back to the area.

Tricia Hooper

We eat here often for dinner. It’s very good and they are great with my husbands allergies.

Pat Wong

Great food, one of the best local family run restaurants. Favorite place for special occasions and when friends and family visit.

Richie M.

Shrimp Piccata and Short Ribs were just a good as the service. Beautiful restaurant with a very nice patio.

We had an 8 person party for a Cal Poly graduation dinner. Great service, quality food, nice atmosphere. Perfect for our family. Big thumbs up!

The food was absolutely delicious. We ordered a scallop dinner, wrapped with prosciutto, on top of spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. The stuffed artichokes were stuffed with crab cakes. The creme brulee topped off our dinner. Service was very good. This is one of our favorite italian restaurants.

Went for the 1st time today for a spur of the moment dinner and was very impressed. We ate in the cafe section vs the main dining room, same menu but more laid back it seems. Great food and wine, mushroom risotto and Halibut, followed by a nice dessert.

Wine list is great...and wait staff knowledgeable- a big help to us. The food was great...I had stuffed squash blossoms that were great. As an extra Amtrak pulled into the station, so we got to train watch too.

Incredibly delicious food. We celebrated my fathers birthday and had the absolute best time. Wonderful family run business with so much class. It’s like stepping into Tuscany!

Classic Italian spot, my go to place for happy hour with friends. Great wine list, awesome cocktails and apps (love the stuffed zucchini blossoms), very attentive staff. Oh yeah, beautiful bathrooms too☺️

Always excellent — both food and service. On this visit my wife and I both had the sand dabs and they were perfect. We started with the Insalata Cafe Roma, which we love and order every time we go.

One of the things that made the quarantine bearable was being close enough to this excellent, consistent and locally owned restaurant. Marco and crew worked long hours to be sure we could have real dinners, not your usual take-out...although their pizza is pretty good too. Kudos and thank you to the Rizzo family.

It's been a while and I had forgotten just how good this restaurant is. Everyone in our group had a different appetizer and entree and they were all excellent. My husband and I are on a keto diet and we're concerned that we might have limited options in an Italian restaurant. Not so! He had a massive braised short rib that was perfectly tender and perfectly seasoned. I had Osso Bucco - probably the best I've ever had. Service was attentive but not pushy. My only tiny critique is that the atmosphere was a bit noisy. Even though the restaurant wasn't even close to full. We will absolutely be back.

We stopped for drinks while waiting for our later-and-later-delayed train, and loved the feel of the place and the great help staff. A lovely young lady was our server and she went out of her way to make sure we could get some items to go for our trip which aren't usually available at the time we visited. Made me want to go back and experience a full meal with them :)

One of the best dinners Ive had. Love the layout. Very romantic. Excellent food and above and beyond customer service! Definitely coming back soon!

I took my date here for Valentine's day, and we enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere. Our server was attentive despite the holiday crowd, and his service was skillful. The special menu had lots of options. I had the Pollo al Mattone, and my date had the Tortelli di Zucca. We both enjoyed our selections and finished the meal with tiramisu and cannoli. I'll be there again to enjoy their food!

Incredible Meal: Perfect end to my 67th Birthday! I researched many restaurants in SLO and chose Cafe Roma for many reasons. Start to finish it was one of my best and most memorable dining experiences! And the ambiance set the tone when we first walked in the door. Hannah remembered me from making our reservation by phone and her service was a highlight. We had the Halibut special and Shrimp Scampi that we shared. Wow! I savored every bite and my kudos to the cook. The owner came by our table to check in, as he had when we arrived, which was icing on the cake! And yes, the Tiramisu was equally delightful. Next trip back to SLO will include a first stop dinner at Cafe Roma!

Absolutely fantastic food, drinks and service. The zucchini appetizer we ordered was fantastic and my porterhouse was cooked perfectly. We couldn’t have had a better experience here.

Love this place. Been here once before on a romantic weekend and it was perfect. Homemade pasta, great service, elegant but not stuffy, and downright delicious... like want to lick the plate delicious lol. Did not go this trip as I was solo.... best for couples!!

We cannot wait to return to this warm, wonderfully authentic Italian restaurant service was excellent. The food was delicious, and the menu was reminiscent of Rome, as well as the coast of Italy.. we cannot wait to go back

Cafe Roma is one of the best Italian places in SLO. Their pasta is homemade, their atmosphere is cozy, and their food is great. You can find all of the normal Italian fare here, but they also serve some interesting specials. When I walked in they were serving a rabbit pasta and, man, it tasted great! Portions are solid and the servers were nice and well versed in the menu.

Always great food and they care to protect you with proper social distancing. I had the Sea Bass special, OMG it was amazing! Lemon, capers, tomato and castelvetrano olives accented perfectly cooked sea bass, Yum! Who says Italian food is heavy! This was light and beautifully seasoned!!

This is an Excellent Restaurant. From the moment I arrived, Jude made certain everything was perfect. Initially I was just having a quick bite but, it was so good I invited a couple of friends to join me we had a wonderful evening with plenty of culinary delights. JS

Went in for desserts - chocolate cake and lemon sorbetto - are definitely out of this world. This is superior cuisine. Owners are extremely attentive and take special care of customers. Will be back. Just wish they would sell pizza by the slice.

Excellent food and service I seem to visit here every 14 years Had the Bread and Dip appetizer Had a Mocktail: Shirley Temple Split the Caesar Salad, was a bit fishy, but still good My Entree Gnocchi Dates Entree: Veggie Lasagna (Special) All was delectable Out Waitress was courteous and pleasant

Marco and Saro embody their father and mother’s true power and passion of Italian hospitality. The restaurant is beautifully appointed and welcoming! Chef Carlo is a diamond!

This is one of my favorite places to go for a great Italian meal. So many great choices on the menu plus nightly specials to choose from.

We came here on our honeymoon and it was great! Nine years later we came for our Anniversary. Wonderful food and experience. We will be back!

Have Italian Favorites in our hometown and ate here while dropping our freshman off at school. Absolutely wonderful. Staff, owner, environment, food were all amazing. This is place is a gem. We will fit if in our dinning plans everytime we are in town!

Great authentic Italian food with great service to go with it. One of my favorites in San luis obispo to eat.

Who would have thought that a gourmet Italian restaurant would be hidden near the Amtrak station. We went to give it try, because their menu showed Osso Bucco, one of my favorite Italian dishes. Many restaurants have shown a lack of respect for tender veal shanks, but not Cafe Roma. It was superb: Tender meat falling off the right-sixed marrow-bones and bathed in a light tomato broth and nested on a layer of saffron risotto. One of the best I've tasted in the US. My wife's pasta dish was also perfectly prepare; and the expansive wine list offered a beautiful Chianti Classico to accompany. We must also praise the complimentary order of Bruschetta and the freshest. thinnest beef carpaccio we've savored in a long time. All was well worth the hour wait for opening time. Grazie mille.

A really nice authentic Italian Restaurant. Service and food was great. Have to give a shout out to Skylar....she made this whisky drink called a Paper Plane....oh my !! Very delicious...I even recommended this drink to a group of girls and they all loved it....Skylar gave prompt, friendly, fast service all night...this place rocks

We were greeted promptly and seated before our reservation time. Staff was efficient. Food was delicious. Carlos our server was amazing.

Everything was wonderful from the moment I arrived. Just across a small divided street from the Amtrak station, it is a feeling of comfort from the start. Friendly and welcoming staff and a lovely ambiance await just inside. The food is delicious!

The are so many barriers that we have to overcome in life, and the natural tendency is to gravitate towards consistency and reliability. I have always been able to count on one thing with regards to a good meal on a special occasion. The next person that calls this place "an Italian joint " well they are silly like a hill billy.. you can buy a joint down the street at the dispensary. Five stars for 40 years this seems like very good math. I don't like it when they call this place "an Italian Joint " kind of rude. It just takes away the blood, sweat and tears this family has given our community, and not to mention the Linguine Vongole is to die for ! Oh my Gosh. The fresh bread they bake daily adds to the dining experience right when you walk into the front door, and the aroma overcomes you with warmth and content. This place is really hard to pick apart. I am very picky and I have had the best. This is as good as it gets mean people with a Domino's Pizza and lunch line palette. You just don't know any better but that is okay. You can learn.

What’s not awesome about Cafe Roma? I love it!!! My pasta was cooked to perfection and the cocktails were A+. The owner is friendly and it shows in the staff. Chef know what he’s doing. Take the train and make a night of it!

By far the best braised lamb I have ever had. There were 5 of us for dinner we all ordered a variety of things appetizers salads soups and deserts. Every thing was perfect. Great atmosphere! It did cost a few dollars but we'll worth it! In my opinion it would also be a great wedding venue. Thank you, Cafe Roma!!

This is one of my favorite places in town for a nice sit-down meal. The atmosphere is great and the staff are always friendly and welcoming. I've tried many things on the menu and loved every one of them. The drinks are delicious as well! Great place for a date, family dinner, or larger group too. Dining there is always a treat!

Italian cuisine epicures look no more. This place is a serious venue, serving outrageously good fare, all carefully prepared. Fun, attentive wait staff complemented by owner, Marco's, oversight ensures a memorable dining experience. An interesting wine list features the owner's homemade wine! How cool is that?!? And if all of the foregoing isn't enough, the sumptuous warm glow of the interior dining rooms bring Italy to you!

Best meal I've had since I moved to SLO county. Great food, great service, lovely interior. Reasonably priced for what I got. I'll be back.

Incredible service, incredible food, great prices, can’t say enough good things about this Italian eatery!

Antipasti was good. I had the steak and it was delicious. Panna cotta was warm but hey, who doesn't screw up once in a while. I still ate it or rather, drank it 🤪

Truly took care of us. We had a large party with a reservation and it all went smooth. We had some party members with food restrictions, and they checked with the chef and fully accommodated them with great selection. Hostess was wonderful and full of energy.

These people were SO nice when our train was delayed over two hours. They were closed, and we walked in not knowing that. They graciously put us in the bar, and we bought wine, prosciutto, and parmesan. It was a pleasant stay. I will return and enjoy their hospitality again.

Great place for Italian food. Very tasteful and delicious

The owner greeted us and sat us at a lovely table where we were able to watch the sun set. I ordered the halibut and my husband ordered the veal. Our meals including the salad was absolutely wonderful, from preparation to presentation. We especially enjoyed our server and bus boy, both were extremely friendly and informative. A memorable night, thank you Cafe Roma!

A lovely evening at the classic Italian spot. They us as if we are welcomed regulars.

The food here is as good as it gets! Hands down the best Italian food in San Luis Obispo, & possibly the county! The pasta is house made & melts in your mouth! All of the food here melts in your mouth! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu! It is cooked to perfection, as fresh as it gets, & has just the right amount of sauce on it to taste all of the flavors! Great atmosphere, fantastic service, this place never disappoints!

The food is excellent. Very authentic.

I had a tomahawk ribeye steak medium rare. It was huge and cooked to perfection. Our server Grace was a delightful person who was friendly and efficient. I recommend this restaurant highly!

We arrived there almost by chance and we were lucky because we enjoyed an excellent dinner in an elegant and welcoming environment. The owner, of Italian origin, made us feel at home but, above all, the dishes and the wine he suggested were excellent. I recommend anyone in San Luis Obispo to go to Café Roma because they won't be disappointed.

The food was amazing and to die for. The servers were nice. If you make a reservation they find you a table when you get thier, instead of reserving one for you. The building was beautiful and the atmosphere immaculate.

Excellent food, the service was great. There is free 2 hour parking in the front overall a hidden gem I am glad I discovered. The coffee after dinner was good, strong yet smooth.

We miss Ristorante Italiano in Santa Cruz so much and now we've found something similar in SLO! Everything was super tasty, the service was great, and it was easy to get there and park.

I stumbled on Cafe Roma while I was browsing open table for a dinner reservation. It was definitely a good choice. The restaurant ambiance is very peaceful. I was seated right away, and the staff was prompt to make sure I had a beverage and menu in front of me. Service was top notch. The menu was filled with so many things I wanted to try. It was hard to just pick one. I ended up with a very tasty Caesar Salad and a short rib pasta that was loaded with flavor. Very satisfied! Things that stand out to me and make Cafe Roma unique. One or more owners are actively assisting the staff and making sure each guest has an amazing experience. I was in the patio, and Saro made an appearance no less than 8 times in my hour meal. It is clear that this restaurant was built on family. I learned Ms. Maria Roma, one of the original founders and first chef, still makes an appearance on a regular basis to checkout what’s going on. Do not sleep on Cafe Roma. Great food, friendly staff, and a very loving experience.

Excellent food and very attentive service. The pasta dishes we ordered were delicious.

I used to come here when my daughters went to CP SLO. This is a fantastic little place. I love the bar. I love the people. I love the food. I love the deserts. Thank you for surviving in this difficult time. To put things in perspective I have been to Italy over 15 times and this is good!

My family's favorite Italian restaurant for 45 years. We are 100% Sicilian and know good food.

The food was wonderful and Carlos was so welcoming and attentive. Definitely recommend!!

Welcoming neighborhood Italian restaurant with indoor seating, patio seating and cozy bar seating. Wait staff was friendly, food was good and ambience was relaxed. Had an ‘old-school’ feel without feeling stuffy or outdated. Will return!

Four of us had a great dinner with a nice appetizer, wine and dessert. Food and service was excellent. Good idea to call to reserve a table.

This is the BEST Italian restaurant on the Central Coast. I've been coming here for 45 years. My father was from Italy, so I know great Italian food. You won't get anything better than Cafe Roma for Italian food.

This delicious restaurant is run by a beautiful family with big hearts! They’re amazing hosts and put so much passion into their food. We had the authentic beef lasagna Cesar salad, an incredible meal with house baked croutons and house made dressing. This restaurant is a must!

aly w

Welcoming neighborhood Italian restaurant with indoor seating, patio seating and cozy bar seating. Wait staff was friendly, food was good and ambience was relaxed. Had an ‘old-school’ feel without feeling stuffy or outdated. Will return!

Tom B

Four of us had a great dinner with a nice appetizer, wine and dessert. Food and service was excellent. Good idea to call to reserve a table.

Lidia Finocchiaro

This is the BEST Italian restaurant on the Central Coast. I've been coming here for 45 years. My father was from Italy, so I know great Italian food. You won't get anything better than Cafe Roma for Italian food.

Esme Garcia

Excellent food, the service was great. There is free 2 hour parking in the front overall a hidden gem I am glad I discovered. The coffee after dinner was good, strong yet smooth.

Nice place. Looks like a local favorite. Food was delicious. Staff are all friendly.

Osso buco was tender and had good taste. However, the risotto was a little too mushy for MY taste. The halibut special was very very good, all in all a complete plate. I’ve had better gnocchi than what we tried, with both the pasta and sauce failing to meet our standards. Egg parm also missed the mark. Despite this, the redeeming factor ended up being dessert. The creme brûlée was perfectly balanced. The trio of gelato was bit too frozen but still good. The chocolate tartuffo was a 10/10.

Jesse Fuentes

Nice place. Looks like a local favorite. Food was delicious. Staff are all friendly.

David Lopez

Osso buco was tender and had good taste. However, the risotto was a little too mushy for MY taste. The halibut special was very very good, all in all a complete plate. I’ve had better gnocchi than what we tried, with both the pasta and sauce failing to meet our standards. Egg parm also missed the mark. Despite this, the redeeming factor ended up being dessert. The creme brûlée was perfectly balanced. The trio of gelato was bit too frozen but still good. The chocolate tartuffo was a 10/10.

The lasagna bolagnese was delicious with delicate sheets of pasta and meat sauce. Half price bottles of wine offered midweek. We would have ordered more and given this place five stars but for the horrible service 4 was more than enough. Our server was abrupt, rude and knocked over glasses. He would reach across and clrar the table of plates, 2 inches from our face. We were rushed and had to ask twice for things.

Tried the zucchini blossom appetizer, and was a complete hit. Service is excellent, and the menu is vast, but not over complicated. Their veal was done perfectly, and if your in the mood for pizza, they have personal sized that's enough for two.

Wow if you want an evening fine dinning experience Cafe Roma is your place. Be prepared to have a grand time. We came early & sat in the little bar grotto & was welcomed by their excellent & inventive mixologist Jeff. He made us feel like old friends as we entered & his openness never wavered. He was so attentive. My Margarita pizza was very good although I would have preferred more basil. The sauce was excellent & the thin crust was perfect. This place is right next to SLO train station. And has both inside dinning as well as a small patio & when we go again, we'll sit in the bar area. Prices are on par with fine SLO dinning & the drinks are outstanding. Appears to be a very nice local neighborhood restaurant with very colorful decor. This would be a place to take your out of town guests. No one rushed us as we decided on dessert. All in all we both enjoy our date night at Cafe Roma.

An excellent choice for a fancy night out in SLO. Bread served before the meal was very good and a nice appetizer leading into our main dishes. The ravioli was very good and large enough that I took some home for leftovers. Skipped dessert unfortunately.

Stopped for a meal after arriving on amtrak train. I failed to get our server's name, but she was an absolute delight! Place opens at 5p. Getting there early provides more seating options. A bit pricey, but probably in line with the area.

Delicious fried calamari, with lemon juice and tomato dipping sauce. Tiramisu for dessert. Excellent food. Service was a little intermittent, our server disappeared and couldn't find him for part of the night.

We sat outside since we had a dog with us, so that's why the 3 on atmosphere. Service was on the slow side, but waiter was very knowledgeable and accommodating with our diet restrictions. Food proportions were generous and the best Italian I have tasted. Not overly seasoned.

Stopped here for dinner for our anniversary. Beautiful ambience. But their menu is a little small. Was surprised they didn't have any entrees with a white sauce. My wife loves the white sauce or a red, but she still enjoyed her meal. The waiter wasn't quite as friendly almost as if he got offended because my wife wanted a dish with white sauce. The owner did greet us and had us sat when we walked in, maybe we should have asked him and they might have whipped something up. It still was a enjoyable evening.

Food was delicious. We got the lasagna and spinach ravioli and they were so good. The owner and some guy were chatting really loud 2 feet away from our table, when the whole place was empty. Ordinarily this wouldn’t bug me but with covid I found this to be rude. Better awareness from the staff and I would give this 5 stars.

One of the best carbonaras I ever had. Very friendly service but a bit slow. It would be a perfect night but in the end we ordered 2 espressos and they brought 2 drip coffees, like "if they don't notice we might get away with that and bill for the espresso"... that was really bad...

We looked forward to dining here with some friends, but we were not impressed, not sure I would go back. We had 5:30 reservations, so we were early, but the drink order took 15 minutes to deliver wine. My wife ordered the Prix Fix dinner. The calamari appetizer was just ok, the butternut squash ravioli were good. However, the entree Osso Buco Milanese was terrible. It was extremely fatty (note before/after pictures and the sauce had a terrible metallic flavor. I mentioned this to the waiter & he said he'd pass it along to the chef, one could only hope. I had the ravioli with spinach with mixed mushrooms ravioli with black truffle sauce which were good. We also had to request black pepper for our salads and to have grated Parmesan on our pasta. At an Italian restaurant they should just offer, you needn't have to ask.

It was a really pleasant dinner. Service was pleasant and prompt. 12 weeks later: Tonight was very different. Service was very slow. Sat us at an unbussed table. They brought out a cheap wine instead of what I ordered. Inflexible on dish preparation. The waiter could not pronounce the names of the specials. They get one more meal to prove themselves. So disappointing.

Jeff La Plante

We looked forward to dining here with some friends, but we were not impressed, not sure I would go back. We had 5:30 reservations, so we were early, but the drink order took 15 minutes to deliver wine. My wife ordered the Prix Fix dinner. The calamari appetizer was just ok, the butternut squash ravioli were good. However, the entree Osso Buco Milanese was terrible. It was extremely fatty (note before/after pictures and the sauce had a terrible metallic flavor. I mentioned this to the waiter & he said he'd pass it along to the chef, one could only hope. I had the ravioli with spinach with mixed mushrooms ravioli with black truffle sauce which were good. We also had to request black pepper for our salads and to have grated Parmesan on our pasta. At an Italian restaurant they should just offer, you needn't have to ask.

Ops Doctor

It was a really pleasant dinner. Service was pleasant and prompt. 12 weeks later: Tonight was very different. Service was very slow. Sat us at an unbussed table. They brought out a cheap wine instead of what I ordered. Inflexible on dish preparation. The waiter could not pronounce the names of the specials. They get one more meal to prove themselves. So disappointing.

Will not return. We went for a birthday, party of seven. Waitress seemed irritated and not happy (maybe she was over worked.) food was so/so price was a lot for food that was not great.

Food was just okay - wasn't anything special to write home about. Was at a banquet downstairs - very intimate setting, but made it difficult to network or move around (or see presentation at front because of poles in the middle of the room). Servers were helpful if there were any requests.

Tasty food, but subpar service on this occasion. I also think it's nervy to charge $2 to "add" anchovies to a Caesar salad, when it should come with the salad to begin with. There was a caprese special, and a caprese on the menu. Apparently, the one on the menu used lesser quality tomatoes, and it was (I assume) cheaper. Odd. Bread had to be discussed 4 times before it came. A bread refill had to be asked for. Wine was never refilled from the bottle for us. We were told that the restaurant likes us to keep our silverware on the table for reuse. I think that with entree prices around $30, the restaurant can put themselves out and wash an additional fork. When a diner complains that something is cold, you don't tell make up excuses about why you, the waiter, are not at fault. You should just apologize and take it back. As a waiter, you are part of a team, and should not seek personal exoneration. As a customer, I don't care whose fault a mistake is.

I love that this is a family-run restaurant that has been part of the community for many years. Many of our friends speak highly of the restaurant, so we may had an off night. We reserved for a party of 7 on Saturday night. We arrived on time, and the 10min wait for the tables would normally not be worth noting except that the reservations required a $20/person cancellation fee. We were thoughtfully seated at a round table, which was great for our group. The server was friendly and helpful, but service was very slow. Drinks took 15 minutes to arrive and glasses of wine were served to the wrong people who had to switch after tasting them. A question about a menu item took another 10 minutes. Several requests were made twice. Meals were prepared well and were generally popular with the guests. Servers did not know who ordered which dishes, and one was prepared incorrectly. Overall an acceptable experience, although several guests remarked on the service issues after we left.

We had a disappointing experience this evening with Café Roma. My wife reserved a table for three and specified that it was my birthday. We got a very nice table, and only had to wait a few minutes after our reservation time. Unfortunately, our server was inattentive. Partially because she was dealing with a table of 15 people, but not entirely. We all ordered cocktails. I was very specific about mine, but it did not come as ordered. She never checked, and ultimately we were able to flag down the host, who was able to correct the order. We had salads that were very good. There was one odd thing. When she brought the salads, we asked if they had fresh ground pepper. She pointed to the pepper on the table. What was odd is that the table behind us got salads and the server came by with the traditional large pepper grinder and offered them fresh ground pepper. We each ordered an entrée. I ordered the special, which was very good. My wife ordered the pasta with clams, which came out inedibly salty. The server did not check in on us for about 15 minutes. By then, my son and I were done with our meal. When she came over, she asked whether everything was good, and when my wife indicated that the pasta with clams was too salty, she had a snarky comment about it. She then also mentioned something about the cocktail I had ordered, as if this was evidence that we were serial complainers. She took away the overly salty dish. She did ask whether my wife would like something else, but given that we had already completed our meals by the time she checked in on us, that did not make sense. Next, she came back with the check. There was no offer of dessert. We didn’t really expect anything, but having mentioned that it was an actual birthday, we thought there might be some nod in that direction. Either way, it was surprising that rather than even offering dessert, she just brought the check as if to hustle us out. There was a long line for tables as apparently the local university was having an event that day. We have had good experiences at this restaurant before. So I think this was an off night and mostly due to the server.

Hadn’t been here in 8 years - so when the opportunity to come back came up, I was excited. Cafe Roma has a great wine list from local vineyards and very prompt and friendly staff. While the bruschetta, roasted vegetables, and panna cotta were 10/10 - overall the food was disappointing. Cesar salad was bland. Myself and others were getting an arm workout cutting through the filet mignon which (shocking!) was very tough. I know this place is beloved by many, but did not have a great experience on my return.

I'm not sure what to say about this place, but I wanted to like it, but just didn't. From the outside, the restaurant looked cozy and cute, but once we were seated, I felt uncomfortable. The dining area is not arranged well. There were giant round tables dominating the center of the room and a lot of two tops shoved along the wall. I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong with the arrangement, but it was just not good. Our drink order took a long time to come, (though they did let us know they had made a mistake and were correcting it). The food was tasty - a burrata salad as their salad special of the day. But we had asked for parmesan on the ravioli and we were waiting 5 minutes, pasta getting cold, as we waited for him to return with the cheese. Dinner here was not a bad experience, it just was not lovely.

Lasagna was mushy and the meat had the texture of a pate. Salad was very good.

Alvin Schnupp

Lasagna was mushy and the meat had the texture of a pate. Salad was very good.

I don't normally leave reviews but Cafe Roma was notably underwhelming. I ordered the salmon. It was cooked okay but severely lacking in flavor: no herbs, no lemon, not even salt and pepper. I dont cook, but wanted to prove even I could do better. I went to Vons and purchased a salmon portion, some fresh rosemary, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon. I was shocked that my amateur salmon I cooked in foil in the oven was better than theirs. They also must have run out of basil substituting arugula in the caprese. I also tried my friend's pasta dish, and it was indistinguishable from anything I've made using sauce that comes in bottles and pasta noodles in bags purchased at any grocery store. $14 mule consisting of mostly ice. The waitress was nice and replaced it without charge, I will give them that. But for a place with above average prices, I wouldn't expect below average food.

Sadly, upon entering the host looked up and never acknowledged we even walked in. He was busy looking at his computer and finally about 3 minutes later said hello. It was Friday night and really the restaurant did not appear to be that busy to not greet us upon entering. That should have been clue 1 to leave but we didn't. When asking if substituting a sauce since an individual couldn't eat the tomatoe based one the server said she really didn't want to put the kitchen out for a special order. Really? She did end up asking and substitution was made. Presentation of eggplant parm was pretty bad... a slice of it on an oversized plate seemed pretty pathetic looking. Attempting to get parm on the dinner once served involved getting up to find the server and ask for it. Once she was located the fresh parmesan was awesome... just sad the server didn't offer when meal was served. I will stop there and just note to self... not running back any time soon. Too bad... just need to appreciate their guests and accommodate requests without being made to feel like the kitchen is being inconvenienced.

Ordered the Tricolo Salad with dressing on the side and Veal Marsala. Salad arrived with heavy salad dressing (couldn't taste the salad items just dressing); same for Veal Marsala. Served smothered in dark brown gravy, no veal flavor!!! Spoke with manager, no apologies no offer to remake the dish! Don't order delicately flavored items, you're wasting money! Go elsewhere for better tasting food!

We liked the ambience and the decoration of the restaurant, but we don't feel like the food and service matched the price we paid for it. Our server kept getting distracted chatting with other guests and forgetting to bring out more water, and the food was... adequate. Not terrible, but not what you expect to get from a higher end restaurant. We probably could have eaten at Olive Garden and gotten the same quality of food for half the price.

Dinner was good and flavorful, but the service was not at all up to par. Our waiter was rushed and seemed overwhelmed, and if we needed anything extra (or if he had forgotten something--which he did more than once) it seemed like it annoyed the waiter when we told him so. We had made reservations a week prior and were really looking forward to this family dinner, so to have to wait for lemons while food got cold or to wait for wine while our drink glasses sat empty was unpleasant. We got our food well before our wine, and would have liked to order a second bottle but never had time. Then to have to ask the empty glasses to be removed, just to have the staff make a joke about us having prior restaurant service experience and how waiters are prideful. Frankly, I was extremely shocked at the rudeness. It has nothing to do with previous experience--it's a matter of good service. The restaurant was busy, but not slammed. The restaurant was well staffed, and we watched other tables get served first and attended to quickly, while our waiter disappeared for large spans of time. We even tried to get the attention of other staff, but they were always looking down or at tables--not at guests. The food was good and tender and flavorful, but the service brought my rating way way down, and I won't go back there nor recommend it to friends. This is the third time I've eaten here, and I grew up here, and I'm not sure what happened since my last visit, but this was unacceptable.

The “free” bread was stale, dry, inedible, basically. The “home made” raviolis were poorly cooked & not well flavored, in an uninspired sauce. I went home and cooked another meal, despite spending the money. I’ll agree with the last review. This place is unimpressive, and no need to go back.

We’ve eaten here several times over the last few years (including 2 company holiday parties), but tonight was our last time. My wife is an Italian from Long Island, and has taught me a couple things about food, 1st of which is that the best item should be the dessert because it’s the last and most remembered item from a meal. At our last holiday party we had the cannoli, and it was so dry, I thought it was week-old from the local Von’s. When our friends wanted to celebrate a birthday tonight at Cafe Roma, we were hesitant, but agreed. The meal took 1-1/2+ hours to get to our table. The food was good (maybe “acceptable” would be better), except the 1 salmon dish that turned out to be VERY UNDER-cooked (sushi?). By the time it was replaced with a properly cook filet, the rest of us had long since finished, and our friend, who was queasy from 2 bites of raw fish, couldn’t finish the dish now. When she asked for her bill to be adjusted the OWNER of the restaurant copped an attitude we never would have expected from any reputable establishment. He said things like, “Our salmon is fresh enough to be sushi, so you shouldn’t be worried” (about getting sick). I could quote more, but suffice it to say his lack of basic customer service and respect was abhorrent, and WE will NEVER step inside this place again!