Cantina Cafe Ristorante — Restaurant in Middletown

I'm so confused. Google reviews suggest this is a great place to eat. I have two different friends who like this place, but I just can't bring myself to ever go back.

Let's start with the 1985 Pizza Hut aesthetic, which could be charming, but it's somewhat strange when they hand you the hand laminated single page menu that has been passed around a few too many times so that it's starting to fall apart, and the only thing that's keeping it together is that film of the grease that hasn't washed off with the quick wipe that someone applied three days before, to see that most dinners are in the $35+ range.

There's the server who, when you ask what beers they have, seems slightly annoyed as she reads off the beers "I got a budwiser, and I got a Sam's winter, ...". Certainly not an inviting or charming kind of person, more of a "I was in the middle of my Candy Crush game and I had to take 5 minutes to take your order." Luckily we didn't have to interact much because she also performed a great disappearing act throughout the evening.

Our food (two of us) was brought out over maybe a 5 minute stretch, which is a bit annoying to have someone sitting there staring at their food because not everyone has gotten their dish.

Ok, but how is the food? It's a mix. My SO got a seafood pasta which was easily enough for 4 people. A good amount of seafood in it. I feared that everything was family style and we just didn't know. When my dish finally arrived (stuffed chicken breast), it was also quite large (more like an XL single-person meal).

The standout was the pasta sauce on the side of pasta which was easily a 10/10 (I would almost return just for that sauce). The rest of the food was a mix. Nothing was bad, it's more that it's excessive and expensive. I would have gladly paid 2/3 the cost for 1/2 the portions.

In the end I can't really recommend Cantina. It would be a nice hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but with the menu prices I'd expect better service and...

This place came highly recommended so I had pretty high expectations when we booked our anniversary dinner here. I have to admit I'm a little disappointed. Parking was a little tough.The decor was very cluttered and dated with a ton of plastic vines,plastic and stenciled grapes on the walls and wicker baskets all over. Vinyl checkered tablecloths. I guess "homey" would be the best and kindest description.The service was good and pretty efficient. The food portions were way beyond expectation. Really huge,however the two meals that we ordered,chicken parmigiana and chicken gorgonzola were not too much beyond average in taste. So nothing too impressive here besides portion size. Probably have enough food leftover for the next 2 days. This is a good midweek family spot that will allow you to have some decent leftovers for the work week. It's really not a "special occasion" or date night restaurant though. Probably wouldn't make the...

This little hole in the wall Italian restaurant makes you feel like you're in an old Italian couples home, so quaint and comfortable. This is also maintained by the service. It feels more like an interaction with an old friend. The portion sizes are giant, so be prepared to share or take home leftovers, but the food is to die for. Just from the look of the food you can tell that the pasta is handmade, and that first bite just proves it. Even before the main course the simple salad and bread that they have just set you up for high expectations of the main course, and they deliver above and beyond. This is absolutely some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten and I will be going back. Also, if you can muster up the room, they're homemade cannoli is just a new level, and it will make all other cannoli seem subpar. I'd give this place 10...