Kaldera Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Pella

We stopped in early (around 4:30pm) on Saturday. On the way in, I only noticed one other table. Our group was 3 adults and two kids. I bring this up because of my major quibble: slow service.

Other minor quibbles were delays in getting our drinks and sitting with two kids (8 & 5), but only offering crayons, etc. at the END of the meal while waiting for dessert.

Now that I've gotten the "bad" stuff out of the way, I can focus on what was good about our experience.

4 of our choices were:

Kids spaghetti Shrimp and steak pasta pikilia Greek salad (with chicken)

This was all REALLY GREAT FOOD! Who knew this was sitting right in Pella this whole time? Even the kids spaghetti had really great flavor! My only quibble with the food was the gyro meat was a bit "tough". I'm used to gyro meat that folds easily with a fork. This was darker than I'm used to and was a tiny bit tough to manipulate with just a fork. The stuffed grape leaves were served cold and had only cheese in the middle. They were tasty, but different than what I've had in the past.

Otherwise, everything was excellent and we won't hesitate to stop in again when we're in the area.

One last note. We really loved the feel of the decorations. My wife has spent time in Greece and she said it brought back memories of sitting outdoors in a little cafe in Greece. All I know is that the decor was interesting to look at and made for a refreshing feel in...

Began with a minor annoyance...45 minute wait to be seated after being told 30. This was not because it was overly busy, but because the kitchen was not staffed for a Saturday night, according to the server. Indeed there were empty tables so certainly they were not at capacity. Next, appetizer went to the wrong table...so it didn't get to us for 20 minutes. (Apologies from the kitchen staff). The house salad showed up at some point... iceberg lettuce and croutons...underwhelmed. Entrees arrived almost 30 minutes after finishing the appetizer. A full size salad for my wife and moussaka for me (which only needed to be scooped from a pan... nothing much to be made here). (More apologies from the kitchen staff.) Things would have been 'fair' at this point except that the entrees were just 'meh'. The feta on the salad was extremely salty and the moussaka, while it tasted fine, was very hot on the outside and not quite warm on the inside. I'm thinking it was microwaved or sat in a heated window for awhile. The server was average and I don't fault him for kitchen issues. This was a restaurant manager issue for not having adequate kitchen staff. The only high point was that the steamed brussels with lemon and bacon was good once it finally found our table. I feel zero need to return. I don't have a crystal ball but I dont see this place lasting many more years without changes, unless the locals keep it afloat for...

Big CITY Quality Small Town Feel

Best restaurant in Pella. Clearly the owners take pride in their establishment. You are greeted with a smile at the front door and made to feel welcome. The restaurant was very clean and orderly from the dining area to the main restaurant along with the bathrooms. (Which says a lot)...if what you can see is clean, then there's a much higher chance that the kitchen area is clean and orderly as well and that's the kind of thing you want when someone is prepping your meal.

The menu selection is surprisingly large and has a nice variety for a small town. The recipes have a Greek influence and use flavors and flair from the Mediterranean. Food quality and flavors were fantastic, can't say enough about it. Too many things to try in the 1st visit, but are worth coming back for. The owner who also happens to be the cook often makes his way through the restaurant to check to see if you are satisfied with your meal. This is a nice touch that shows they care.

I travel for business and have happened to be through town more than once. Kaldera is on the list of places to be back to...