Calabria's looks like a really beautiful restaurant from the outside. The landscaping is always kept up with and the building is attracting to most of us who drive by it often. Although, when you go inside, it is outdated and stuck in the 90s. I went to a bridal shower here, which was elegant and beautiful compared to the regular restaurant area. The party room served breakfast foods later on in the day, which seemed odd to me for a fancy party room. I would recommend this place for a party because it is separate from the restaurant itself, but I am not impressed with the restaurant as a whole. The service was good, the food is alright but the ambiance is just not there.
(2)
Merari L.
I ordered the Pittsburgh Steak Salad and LOVED IT. My client had the Italian Sandwich w/fries and said it was really good too. So, about my steak salad..well done slices over a ample amount of greens, mozzarella cheese, thin carrot slivers, black olives, cucumbers AND french fries..I kinda, sorta drenched it in Ranch dressing. Mmmmmm!!! Yea, the place is outdated on the inside, but the food makes it all worth the visit. My waiter was friendly, as well as the other staff. Will definitely be coming here again! Sorry, no pictures. I forgot lol. Oh, and ample amount of parking. That's always a plus!
(4)
Beth E.
I often times order the wrong entree, and believe that's what happened this time. I started with the chicken pastini soup, which I liked, except that there was no sign of chicken, but instead 2 small meatballs. My husband had the same and his cup looked identical to mine. I then had the pepperoni chicken. Although the chicken was tender, hot, cooked well and had a fair amount of pepperoni on top, the enormous amount of rather bland sauce made it not very tasty. Disappointing. The veal saltimboca my husband had was very different than any I had ever seen, but he enjoyed it, although would have liked more ham. My mother, who was with us and needed gluten free food was accommodated very well by the chef, who served her chicken Romano and a baked potato, which she enjoyed. Atmosphere is nothing special and with a large party there, it became loud. Pulling out of their parking lot is never easy. Prices are prob ably a few dollars more than they should be based on food quality.
(3)
Greg E.
Although I have eaten here many times over the past 20 years, most of my trips were for lunch. This past week my wife and I dined there for dinner. Service was prompt and professional, even though the server was fairly new in her position. The atmosphere is nothing special and the acoustics bad (there was a party of 10 towards the back of the restaurant that sounded like a party of 20). The menu is pretty broad, but weighted heavily toward pasta and Italian. We both ordered the chicken pastina soup. The broth was just OK. There were a few small meatballs and absolutely no chicken in either of our soups. It was laughable. My wife ordered the pepperoni chicken and I the chicken saltimboca. Both chickens were tender. The sauce (gravey, to those who prefer the old world Italian term) for my entree was great and I very much enjoyed my entree. The marinara sauce on the pepperoni chicken is average, at best. This recipe has not changed over the years and it is bland and somewhat tasteless. At $17 per entree (with only one side, and a soup or salad) a patron should reasonably expect better quality.
(3)
Rita K.
The food is awesome, the staff friendly and efficient. would def come back here !!!!!
(4)
Amanda M.
Saying Calabria's is up there with Franco's and Mia Madre is a stretch. However, Calabria's is vey good for what it is- casual italian foods. I would say it's closer to Armstrong's or Little Oasis. I stopped here for dinner with a friend at 8pm on a Saturday night. We asked to sit outside but were informed that the patio was "rented" out for the night for a party. When I walked into the dining room, I was immediately frightened and seriously considered going elsewhere. It looked like they clean with pepto bismal. Everything is a very ugly pink color. Tables, booths, chairs, decorations- pepto bismal pink. We were also the youngest patrons by about 20 years. Stomaches growling, we decided to stay and were very glad we did. I ordered the grilled chicken with a side of pasta with vodka sauce. The entrees also came with a salad or soup. I chose the salad with cheesy garlic dressing. Yes, the dressing is called cheesy garlic. It was a creamy, cheesy italian dressing. Delicious. I can definitely see using this dressing as a sauce for subs and chicken. The salads were also served with italian bread with a oil, balsamic and spices dip. Perfect compliment to my meal. Our entrees arrived quickly. I was very pleased with my choice. The chicken was juicy and tender with good flavors. The penne with vodka sauce was delicious. A wonderful combination of tomatoes and cream. When I asked for parmesan cheese, I was directed to the bottle of shaker cheese on the table. Not quite what I was looking for. Our waitress quickly brought me a small cup of grated cheese. Throughout the night the service was exceptional. Now, that might have to do with the fact that there were only 2 other tables at that time but regardless, it was great. I decided to save a piece of chicken for lunch the next day and get dessert. We were looking for chocolate cake but the closest thing we found was a chocolate brownie ala mode. Other than the decor, dessert was the reason Calabria's got 4 stars instead of 5. The brownie was on the hard and thin side. Overall, I would definitely head back to Calabria's for dinner but will pass on dessert.
(4)
Mark Z.
It's Calabria's - what more can you say. Great good, reasonable prices, and a nice, relaxing atmosphere. This location and the Upper St. Clair location are both winners. Everything is homemade. The restaurants are super clean, the menu has a nice variety, and the staff is always friendly and helpful.
(5)
Jeffrey N.
If you like waterlogged pasta, runny sauce and food that really is not that good, by all means eat here. Water is cold, so that's a plus.
Note #1: This used to be called Mama Lena's "way back in the day" as the folk would say it. Note #2: I forgot to jot down their hours, and they aren't listed on the website, but I think it said on the door that they're open until 9PM Monday-Thursday and Sunday, and until 11PM on Friday and Saturday. Like it is with any other place, I guess it wouldn't hurt to call before you go. Calabria's is surprisingly casual despite the elegant interiors. Their menu runs the gamut of Italian American cuisine, including the typical inexpensive hoagies 'n wings fodder to more sophisticated, pricier, and traditional pasta, chicken, seafood, beef, and veal dishes. They even have Filet Mignon! FYI Time Before Ya Get Ideas: The only pizza they have on the docket is a white pizza app. Just lettin' ya know. I almost ordered some. Me and the family sort of flaked out with our takeout, eschewing the Chicken Cacciatore and Fetuccine Primavera for, you pegged it, hoagies 'n wings...and fries and calzones. I can tell you up front and without hesitation that their Italian Hoagie is a winner. The meat was generous, the bread was gorgeously golden and crunchy, and the dressing had more than a bit of sass. No, I didn't eat Snooki. Man, I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot... Sorry. Bill Maher's on the TV as I write this. Cable television is such a bad influence. Our buffalo wings were marked "Wings Of The Buffalo" on the styrofoam. Now I've heard of the Winged Bulls of Nineveh, but... They weren't bad. They had a lot of snap and bite to 'em, but I've had better. The fries were sublime, almost gourmet. No joking. These are made The Right Way instead of The Wrong Way (musical reference to a band I don't listen to). I didn't expect them to hold up that well on the way home. They are the definition of crisp, so unsoggy, and had a buttery flavor (peanut oil? fried twice?), and we just couldn't stop demolishing them. The star of this dinnertime highlight reel however, is the meatball calzone. The inside of the calzone was a positively plush tetrad of meatballs, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and provolone. The outside was composed of a dough was supremely satin. When I picked it up, it felt like a woman. I know, it's so weird, and I know that I'm writing this on a Friday night, but... If you want to experience the living, breathing, yeast-imbibed, freshly ground, freshly crushed, freshly stretched embodiment of Home Made, get yourself a Calabria's calzone and split it with someone you like. Grandmothers with angel wings and halos must be the ones preparing them. Seriously, I'm THIS CLOSE from eating the other half of that categorically celestial calzone. God, it's so good I'm using words I never use in conversation! Hell, I want to take it out of the fridge and reheat it just to hold it. If I'm being weird, tell me, and I'll stop. I'm trapped in the Calzone Zone, bunkies...
(4)
Weho Guy X.
Sad little place, even by Pittsburgh standards. Ambience of a funeral parlor, with average age of patrons about 69. Exemplary Calabria's dish? Oriental chicken salad garnished with uncooked ramen noodles.
(2)
Stephanie C.
Horrible experience. The food itself was good but way over priced for what it was. They charged us for every little thing.. extra sides of dressing after they brought the wrong kind to begin with, a side of vinegar, surprised they didn't charge us for the extra napkins. Service was terrible to boot. Never will go back. You'd have better service and food at Olive Garden...and that's hard for me to say.
(1)
Ed G.
My family and I stopped here tonight. We live very close and have yet to ever go. What a mistake. When you first walk in, you are assaulted with pastel palette and an over abundance of mauve. This is more 80's than my grandmothers house. I could ignore the decor if the service was better. It was horrible. Our waitress came twice then disappeared. Apparently she went home sick and no one else came to pick up our table for over 20 min. Smooth. So when we finally got our food, I was really hoping for greatness. I don't know why I was expecting good food when everything else wasn't. I ordered veal with peppers. 17.99. I got less than a third of a pepper on my plate with 3 tiny, extremely thin, tough pieces of veal. It was supposed to be served with a brandy sherry sauce. Nope. It was a white wine butter sauce. The description also didn't mention the veal was scallopine. It was. Probably could of given myself a paper cut with these. The experience was awful, the service was horrendous, the decor cannot be unseen, and everything was a good 5 to 7 dollars over priced. Will never go back to this place again.
(1)
Kevin C.
Went here today for a wedding and it was really nice. The service was nice and attentive. The coffee was decent and the lemonade was pretty tasty too. For a meal we had a salad with house Italian dressing which was very good. The mixed vegetables were steamed, could've used some seasoning and were frozen I believe. The potato dish was like a peeled baked potato that was sliced every quarter inch widthwise and had some sort of seasoning on top. It was ok, but I really just wanted sour cream, cheese, and bacon on top of it. Then, there was a tenderized breaded chicken dish that was pretty good. Lastly, but my favorite as well, was their eggplant Parmesan with red sauce. I believe it was homemade, but I'm not positive. Regardless, it was very good!
(3)
Jean K.
I had an absolutely awful meal, and I took 5 others with me. I had scallops $18 and it was a very small portion, the scallops were small, the size of a nickel, tough and fishy tasting. The sauce didn't have any flavor, the bread was below average. Maybe they just had a bad night, I was never there before, but they have been around a very long time. All I know is if someone gave me a giftcard from there, I would give or throw it away.Very overpriced for the offerings.
(1)
darren l.
Probably 3.5 stars. Food allergy friendly with a lot of choices. Prices are fair with large portions. The greek vinaigrette with feta was really good. The food was fine for a casual meal--no complaints. Our waitress was pleasant, attentive, and really went out of her way to work with the gluten allergy at the table. Nothing special, but still a more than acceptable place for dinner.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Lunch Parking : Valet, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Lizzie D.
Calabria's looks like a really beautiful restaurant from the outside. The landscaping is always kept up with and the building is attracting to most of us who drive by it often. Although, when you go inside, it is outdated and stuck in the 90s. I went to a bridal shower here, which was elegant and beautiful compared to the regular restaurant area. The party room served breakfast foods later on in the day, which seemed odd to me for a fancy party room. I would recommend this place for a party because it is separate from the restaurant itself, but I am not impressed with the restaurant as a whole. The service was good, the food is alright but the ambiance is just not there.
(2)Merari L.
I ordered the Pittsburgh Steak Salad and LOVED IT. My client had the Italian Sandwich w/fries and said it was really good too. So, about my steak salad..well done slices over a ample amount of greens, mozzarella cheese, thin carrot slivers, black olives, cucumbers AND french fries..I kinda, sorta drenched it in Ranch dressing. Mmmmmm!!! Yea, the place is outdated on the inside, but the food makes it all worth the visit. My waiter was friendly, as well as the other staff. Will definitely be coming here again! Sorry, no pictures. I forgot lol. Oh, and ample amount of parking. That's always a plus!
(4)Beth E.
I often times order the wrong entree, and believe that's what happened this time. I started with the chicken pastini soup, which I liked, except that there was no sign of chicken, but instead 2 small meatballs. My husband had the same and his cup looked identical to mine. I then had the pepperoni chicken. Although the chicken was tender, hot, cooked well and had a fair amount of pepperoni on top, the enormous amount of rather bland sauce made it not very tasty. Disappointing. The veal saltimboca my husband had was very different than any I had ever seen, but he enjoyed it, although would have liked more ham. My mother, who was with us and needed gluten free food was accommodated very well by the chef, who served her chicken Romano and a baked potato, which she enjoyed. Atmosphere is nothing special and with a large party there, it became loud. Pulling out of their parking lot is never easy. Prices are prob ably a few dollars more than they should be based on food quality.
(3)Greg E.
Although I have eaten here many times over the past 20 years, most of my trips were for lunch. This past week my wife and I dined there for dinner. Service was prompt and professional, even though the server was fairly new in her position. The atmosphere is nothing special and the acoustics bad (there was a party of 10 towards the back of the restaurant that sounded like a party of 20). The menu is pretty broad, but weighted heavily toward pasta and Italian. We both ordered the chicken pastina soup. The broth was just OK. There were a few small meatballs and absolutely no chicken in either of our soups. It was laughable. My wife ordered the pepperoni chicken and I the chicken saltimboca. Both chickens were tender. The sauce (gravey, to those who prefer the old world Italian term) for my entree was great and I very much enjoyed my entree. The marinara sauce on the pepperoni chicken is average, at best. This recipe has not changed over the years and it is bland and somewhat tasteless. At $17 per entree (with only one side, and a soup or salad) a patron should reasonably expect better quality.
(3)Rita K.
The food is awesome, the staff friendly and efficient. would def come back here !!!!!
(4)Amanda M.
Saying Calabria's is up there with Franco's and Mia Madre is a stretch. However, Calabria's is vey good for what it is- casual italian foods. I would say it's closer to Armstrong's or Little Oasis. I stopped here for dinner with a friend at 8pm on a Saturday night. We asked to sit outside but were informed that the patio was "rented" out for the night for a party. When I walked into the dining room, I was immediately frightened and seriously considered going elsewhere. It looked like they clean with pepto bismal. Everything is a very ugly pink color. Tables, booths, chairs, decorations- pepto bismal pink. We were also the youngest patrons by about 20 years. Stomaches growling, we decided to stay and were very glad we did. I ordered the grilled chicken with a side of pasta with vodka sauce. The entrees also came with a salad or soup. I chose the salad with cheesy garlic dressing. Yes, the dressing is called cheesy garlic. It was a creamy, cheesy italian dressing. Delicious. I can definitely see using this dressing as a sauce for subs and chicken. The salads were also served with italian bread with a oil, balsamic and spices dip. Perfect compliment to my meal. Our entrees arrived quickly. I was very pleased with my choice. The chicken was juicy and tender with good flavors. The penne with vodka sauce was delicious. A wonderful combination of tomatoes and cream. When I asked for parmesan cheese, I was directed to the bottle of shaker cheese on the table. Not quite what I was looking for. Our waitress quickly brought me a small cup of grated cheese. Throughout the night the service was exceptional. Now, that might have to do with the fact that there were only 2 other tables at that time but regardless, it was great. I decided to save a piece of chicken for lunch the next day and get dessert. We were looking for chocolate cake but the closest thing we found was a chocolate brownie ala mode. Other than the decor, dessert was the reason Calabria's got 4 stars instead of 5. The brownie was on the hard and thin side. Overall, I would definitely head back to Calabria's for dinner but will pass on dessert.
(4)Mark Z.
It's Calabria's - what more can you say. Great good, reasonable prices, and a nice, relaxing atmosphere. This location and the Upper St. Clair location are both winners. Everything is homemade. The restaurants are super clean, the menu has a nice variety, and the staff is always friendly and helpful.
(5)Jeffrey N.
If you like waterlogged pasta, runny sauce and food that really is not that good, by all means eat here. Water is cold, so that's a plus.
(1)Tony D.
What a nice surprise. We stopped at Calabria's after an early wedding and dined on the patio. I had the veal and peppers as main course and it was outstanding. We had the following apps and all were delicious: greens & beans, stuffed bread sticks, fried zucchini, sautéed sausage all of them tasted like more. I highly recommend Calabria's it's right up there with Franco's and Mia Madre's as great Italian restaurants.
(5)Darren W.
Note #1: This used to be called Mama Lena's "way back in the day" as the folk would say it. Note #2: I forgot to jot down their hours, and they aren't listed on the website, but I think it said on the door that they're open until 9PM Monday-Thursday and Sunday, and until 11PM on Friday and Saturday. Like it is with any other place, I guess it wouldn't hurt to call before you go. Calabria's is surprisingly casual despite the elegant interiors. Their menu runs the gamut of Italian American cuisine, including the typical inexpensive hoagies 'n wings fodder to more sophisticated, pricier, and traditional pasta, chicken, seafood, beef, and veal dishes. They even have Filet Mignon! FYI Time Before Ya Get Ideas: The only pizza they have on the docket is a white pizza app. Just lettin' ya know. I almost ordered some. Me and the family sort of flaked out with our takeout, eschewing the Chicken Cacciatore and Fetuccine Primavera for, you pegged it, hoagies 'n wings...and fries and calzones. I can tell you up front and without hesitation that their Italian Hoagie is a winner. The meat was generous, the bread was gorgeously golden and crunchy, and the dressing had more than a bit of sass. No, I didn't eat Snooki. Man, I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot... Sorry. Bill Maher's on the TV as I write this. Cable television is such a bad influence. Our buffalo wings were marked "Wings Of The Buffalo" on the styrofoam. Now I've heard of the Winged Bulls of Nineveh, but... They weren't bad. They had a lot of snap and bite to 'em, but I've had better. The fries were sublime, almost gourmet. No joking. These are made The Right Way instead of The Wrong Way (musical reference to a band I don't listen to). I didn't expect them to hold up that well on the way home. They are the definition of crisp, so unsoggy, and had a buttery flavor (peanut oil? fried twice?), and we just couldn't stop demolishing them. The star of this dinnertime highlight reel however, is the meatball calzone. The inside of the calzone was a positively plush tetrad of meatballs, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and provolone. The outside was composed of a dough was supremely satin. When I picked it up, it felt like a woman. I know, it's so weird, and I know that I'm writing this on a Friday night, but... If you want to experience the living, breathing, yeast-imbibed, freshly ground, freshly crushed, freshly stretched embodiment of Home Made, get yourself a Calabria's calzone and split it with someone you like. Grandmothers with angel wings and halos must be the ones preparing them. Seriously, I'm THIS CLOSE from eating the other half of that categorically celestial calzone. God, it's so good I'm using words I never use in conversation! Hell, I want to take it out of the fridge and reheat it just to hold it. If I'm being weird, tell me, and I'll stop. I'm trapped in the Calzone Zone, bunkies...
(4)Weho Guy X.
Sad little place, even by Pittsburgh standards. Ambience of a funeral parlor, with average age of patrons about 69. Exemplary Calabria's dish? Oriental chicken salad garnished with uncooked ramen noodles.
(2)Stephanie C.
Horrible experience. The food itself was good but way over priced for what it was. They charged us for every little thing.. extra sides of dressing after they brought the wrong kind to begin with, a side of vinegar, surprised they didn't charge us for the extra napkins. Service was terrible to boot. Never will go back. You'd have better service and food at Olive Garden...and that's hard for me to say.
(1)Ed G.
My family and I stopped here tonight. We live very close and have yet to ever go. What a mistake. When you first walk in, you are assaulted with pastel palette and an over abundance of mauve. This is more 80's than my grandmothers house. I could ignore the decor if the service was better. It was horrible. Our waitress came twice then disappeared. Apparently she went home sick and no one else came to pick up our table for over 20 min. Smooth. So when we finally got our food, I was really hoping for greatness. I don't know why I was expecting good food when everything else wasn't. I ordered veal with peppers. 17.99. I got less than a third of a pepper on my plate with 3 tiny, extremely thin, tough pieces of veal. It was supposed to be served with a brandy sherry sauce. Nope. It was a white wine butter sauce. The description also didn't mention the veal was scallopine. It was. Probably could of given myself a paper cut with these. The experience was awful, the service was horrendous, the decor cannot be unseen, and everything was a good 5 to 7 dollars over priced. Will never go back to this place again.
(1)Kevin C.
Went here today for a wedding and it was really nice. The service was nice and attentive. The coffee was decent and the lemonade was pretty tasty too. For a meal we had a salad with house Italian dressing which was very good. The mixed vegetables were steamed, could've used some seasoning and were frozen I believe. The potato dish was like a peeled baked potato that was sliced every quarter inch widthwise and had some sort of seasoning on top. It was ok, but I really just wanted sour cream, cheese, and bacon on top of it. Then, there was a tenderized breaded chicken dish that was pretty good. Lastly, but my favorite as well, was their eggplant Parmesan with red sauce. I believe it was homemade, but I'm not positive. Regardless, it was very good!
(3)Jean K.
I had an absolutely awful meal, and I took 5 others with me. I had scallops $18 and it was a very small portion, the scallops were small, the size of a nickel, tough and fishy tasting. The sauce didn't have any flavor, the bread was below average. Maybe they just had a bad night, I was never there before, but they have been around a very long time. All I know is if someone gave me a giftcard from there, I would give or throw it away.Very overpriced for the offerings.
(1)darren l.
Probably 3.5 stars. Food allergy friendly with a lot of choices. Prices are fair with large portions. The greek vinaigrette with feta was really good. The food was fine for a casual meal--no complaints. Our waitress was pleasant, attentive, and really went out of her way to work with the gluten allergy at the table. Nothing special, but still a more than acceptable place for dinner.
(3)