Casa Calabria — Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale

My wife and I like to believe we are well versed with Italian cuisine. Located in the Ocean Manor Beach Resort, Casa Calabria is serving authentic meals in an intimate, yet lively atmosphere (live music when we dined on a Thursday evening). It was the perfect reminder of a home cooked meal I would enjoy with family during a traditional Sunday dinner.

Cold ice water and warm bread were brought to our table. Warm bread is served with their sauce on the side, or if preferred, the table is set with salt, pepper and olive oil. The sauce was good, strong grated cheese flavor that some may not enjoy, but my wife and I enjoyed the sauce very much.

Arancini and fried calamari were shared as appetizers. The sicilian arancini were generous in size, cooked to perfection and finished with a dusting of grated cheese. Please keep in mind I've been spoiled with rice balls/arancini all my life, so the sicilian arancini served by Casa Calabria did not take my #1 spot of all time, but were executed very well. The fried calamari were fried to a perfect tender crisp and a nice portion for two to share. I am someone who enjoys eating the tentacles, so a round of applause to show my appreciation to Casa Calabria for including in their calamari. Some could have said our calamari was a bit oversalted, but a squirt of lemon and it brings it home. I would very confidently put this calamari up against any calamari in Florida. I am still trying to convince my wife the calamari was better than the other Italian establishment we dined at earlier in the week.

My wife and I both ordered the chicken parm entree which is accompanied with penne pasta. My ricotta obsessed wife asked for some on the side and Casa Calabria did not charge an additional fee. The little things go a long way with us and it's nice knowing this establishment isn't looking to nickle and dime. Chicken Parm dinners were excellent and could feed a small village. The monsoon of a cutlet was ridiculously crispy, and the cheese was golden brown.

Dessert was a long shot after the feast we had just devoured. However, Mario would not allow us to go home without a proper ending to our meal, so he brought out his creativity and whipped us up something special. My wife and I each had our own small cannoli to enjoy, and a traditional ricotta cheesecake to share. Cannolis are filled to order, shells remained light & crispy. The ricotta cheesecake was dense and I was indifferent on the flavor profile.

Mario is an exceptional server. I appreciate the attention to detail from Mario and the other gentleman who always kept our glasses full with cold water and table cleaned. He patiently waited for us to finish our appetizers before placing the order for our entrees. There was no sense of being rushed or unwelcomed. From beginning to end, he was true to himself and had a genuine personality. My wife and I were getting a little tired of the fictitious flairs and circus antics from other establishments, so Mario's originality was refreshing. I hope Mario enjoyed our presence just as much as we enjoyed his.

Mario - thank you for the shared conversations and laughs. You've become a memorable moment and one of the best servers we've experienced in...

Some restaurants are built on reputation. Casa Calabria is built on garlic bread. Yes, the pasta is solid, the steaks are hearty, and the atmosphere feels like a time capsule of every great Italian-American dining room you have ever walked into. But if we are being honest, you could stop the review after the bread and still understand why this place has been packed for decades.

The garlic bread at Casa Calabria does not just show up in a basket. It arrives as an event. Golden and glistening, heavy with butter, soaked through with garlic, and piled high like a sacred offering. Take one bite and you understand why locals swear it was stolen straight from Dionysus’ table. It is indulgence, pure and unapologetic. The crust crackles, the middle melts, and the butter stains your fingers in a way that feels less like a mess and more like a rite of passage. You do not eat it politely. You devour it.

Of course, Casa Calabria is more than its bread, though it could have made a living on that alone. The menu reads like a family album: red sauce pastas, hearty lasagna, steaks seared to order, and seafood that reminds you Lake Superior is just a few blocks away. Portions are generous. Plates arrive steaming. This is not dainty dining. This is food that fills you, comforts you, and sends you home with leftovers wrapped in foil.

The bar is its own landmark. Strong pours, a crowd that feels like an extended family reunion, and bartenders who know the locals by name. Order a cocktail or a glass of wine, and you find yourself staying longer than you planned. The energy in the room is part supper club, part neighborhood hangout, and completely Marquette.

What makes Casa Calabria matter is not only the food but the sense of continuity. In a town where new restaurants pop up with curated menus and craft-forward concepts, Casa Calabria holds its ground by being exactly what it has always been. It is the place you take your parents when they visit, the spot you celebrate after a game, the restaurant that has hosted more birthdays and anniversaries than anyone can count.

It is also a reminder of how tradition works in food. The garlic bread is not fancy. It is not reimagined or deconstructed. It is butter, garlic, bread, and heat, turned into something transcendent through repetition and care. The same could be said of the entire restaurant. Casa Calabria is not trying to dazzle you with novelty. It is feeding you the way Italian-American food was meant to: rich, filling, and with a table that never feels empty.

So yes, order the pasta. Get the steak. Try the seafood. But do not forget the reason everyone in Marquette smiles when you mention Casa Calabria. It is the bread. The bread that could start a religion. The bread that makes you believe in butter again. The bread that once belonged to the gods and now belongs, thankfully,...

5 Stars!!! Casa Calabria....I thank you!....my taste buds thank you!!!....and my family thanks you for bringing amazing Italian gourmet food to Fort Lauderdale. From the hostess....to the servers.... to the ones pouring the drinks and those creating these heavenly dishes.....Perfection!!!

I must say in all honesty.....initially, it was with a lot of hesitation that our party agreed to spend Father's Day at a restaurant we had never tried. You see....Galt Ocean is not known to locals as a fine dining area. Tourist-style eateries came and went. The only other place in the area I would highly recommend to foodies prior to Casa Calabria was Greek Islands. Also 5 stars. But that has now all changed. Casa Calabria brings it...on every level. And now....all of us who were so hesitant....all I heard the next day is "When are we going back?"

Valet at the Ocean Manor Hotel. Enter....and you find the Lounge Entrance immediately on the right....but don't walk in there (like I did).....the main entrance with the wonderful hostess is just past that.

We were a party of 10 and we were seated at the large family-style table which is so comfortable. The restaurant has a clear view of the Ocean throughout.....but we preferred to be closer to the live music and sit at a huge table......fitted for Royalty. (....which is also the way you will be treated by the entire staff).

Our server was flawless. With 10 people seated around a large table.....all asking a questions.... without hesitation, he was on top of it.....and his suggestions were all on-point. Great job!! I must also say from the hostess to the entire staff..... smiles and introductions by so many all with one common theme..... "anything you need.....we will make sure it happens." Everything was perfect!!!!

We started with cocktails and 2 wooden serving boards with prosciutto...cheese and Mortadella. Some green olives...... Add to this some Caeser salad....and an order of fresh tomato salad and why not....let's get some Calamari and some pasta starters. Oh....the pasta!!! It is simply amazing. Now take all this and add some of that Italian bread that everyone was raving about.....and we haven't even ordered dinner yet.

I'm not writing chapters...at least not intending to....but just quickly....the filet mignon with pasta (al dente) with just the right kick....the Branzino (hope that is how they spell it) and dish after dish was made to perfection.

Casa Calabria....there is so much to say. But on behalf of myself.....my family and friends...we thank you and look forward to coming back. You created Italy on Galt....not an easy task....but one you did with perfection! 5...