Cate's Italian Garden — Restaurant in Town of Bolton

STAY AWAY: Cate's Italian Garden is a NIGHTMARE!

If you're considering going to Cate's Italian Garden, let me save you the trouble and disappointment: DON'T. I wish I could go back in time and un-visit this abomination of an establishment. From the moment I stepped foot inside, it was apparent that Cate's Italian Garden was a dreadful mistake. The food was appalling, the service was horrendous, and the establishment itself seemed determined to extract as much money from its patrons as possible through hidden charges and outrageous fees.

First, let's talk about the food, or rather, the mess they try to pass off as "Italian cuisine." The dishes were a disgrace to Italy and an affront to good taste. Everything was either overcooked, undercooked, or just plain unappetizing. The pasta was soggy, the sauces were bland, and the meats were dry and rubbery. It was like the culinary equivalent of a train wreck – you can't look away, but you desperately wish you could.

Now, onto the atrocious service. The waitresses were rude, unprofessional, and only seemed to care about getting their tips. They walked around as if they were blind, ignoring customers and making us feel invisible. It felt like we were in a twisted version of a restaurant where the waitstaff just didn't care about the patrons. We had to wait an eternity for any semblance of service, and even then, it felt like they were doing us a favor by attending to us.

The cherry on top of this disastrous cake was the absurd fees this place has the audacity to charge. They impose a plate-sharing fee AND a credit card processing fee. While these fees are mentioned in the menu, it's impossible to know about them until you actually go through the painful experience of booking a table, driving 20 minutes to the restaurant, and waiting for them to decide when they'll deign to seat you.

The plate-sharing fee is a blatant money-grab aimed at taking advantage of families with children. We all know that parents often share meals with their kids, and Cate's Italian Garden exploits this fact with no shame. This establishment is the furthest thing from family-friendly, and I would caution any parent to steer clear of this nightmare.

In summary, Cate's Italian Garden is a travesty that deserves to be avoided like the plague. The food is terrible, the service is worse, and the fees are a slap in the face. I implore anyone reading this to never step foot inside this abysmal excuse for a restaurant. Save yourself the time, money, and heartache – you're better off eating literally...

It is so hard to find a good place to eat that is consistent and has nice portions and good Italian food in Bolton. As summer residents who are from the NY /NJ area, (and an Italian family, our standards are quite high. We were told about Cate's originally for their pizza and was told it was awesome . Our response was " Yeah right! We are from NJ!! " Our first experience was nothing short of perfect. From the service to the food to the atmosphere, it was such a wonderful dining experience. On our first visit , both the owner and the hostess came over to make sure everything was ok with our meal , which was a very nice touch as it is nice to see great customer service from management. As we became more regular customers , we became more familiar with the vast menu and really have enjoyed their wonderful array of choices. The portions are unbelievable and you will not leave hungry and will hopefully have a fridge back at your room for leftovers.

Some of our absolute favorites: Appetizers: Jumbo shrimp cocktail and fried calamari- always done to perfection! Meals: the Zuppa de Pesce will leave you speachless with the amount of seafood and their Chicken Tetrazzini is to die for . The Marsala sauce is delicious so anything made with it will be incredible. Also Buddy's homemade lasagna will not disappoint. The pizza : OH the pizza... OH THE PIZZA!! It is definitely a must try. Soft crusty fresh focaccia type bread like crust made absolutely delicious with the perfect blend of a sauce a cheese. We love putting a little onion on it or some pepperoni on half but cheese is just perfect . You can get a round or square . Makes a great appetizer for a table to share in the beginning.

The best of all is their bread with dipping oil brought to the table . WHAT you say?!? Yes !! Never in my dining experience has I tasting such a perfect blend of herbs and spices in a dipping oil .

I hope your experience is as wonderful as ours always is. I rarely take the time to write reviews but this restaurant certainly is worth the stop . With all of the other restaurants, it proves over and over to be the only one to remain consistent and well suited to fit our family of 4 (ages 8/12 kids )...

As a 25+ year seasonal customer who frequents this establishment often, I had to comment. Particularly in response to the recent review by someone named D. I must call you out. Shame on you to leave all 1s on everything across the board when you yourself admit you had takeout. So how bad could the atmosphere be!? Apparently you have zero appreciation for small mom & pop businesses. Your review is unfair. This business has a great atmosphere and has been a staple in this town for almost 30 years! Do you have any clue how hard it is to remain successful in today's world let alone in the food business? Clearly not. You sound as if you get a guaranteed 40 hr paycheck every week, 3 weeks paid vacation and possible health benefits. Please. You ordered take out in a summer vacation town during one of the busiest weekends. Restaurants like this have 12-16 weeks to make enough money to support their staff and family for the entire year. Your review speaks volumes to your character. Do you realize you never mentioned the food? 😂 Btw the name that starts with a K and rhymes with Nellie is Kelly. Kelly has been the main bartender there forever. Taking your take out order is just 1 of her jobs there. I wasn't there but know the worker she is and know her attention to detail. I doubt the scenario you described is true but so what if it was!? Maybe she had an off day? Maybe they were swamped? Maybe you being on vacation should chill a little and leave your self important attitude at the door? Just a thought. Although I am positive your business is important to any restaurant you patronize, you are nobody's only customer. Your review was unfair. I hope people will ignore your silly unjust review and give more weight to the fact this same 1 owner business has survived for 30 years. The food speaks for itself. It's consistently good. Service is excellent but can at times be a bit slower depending on the weekend. It is afterall located in an extremely busy tourist hot spot. I suggest people skip D's review. Don't give it another thought. Just check it out for yourself and see what has kept it thriving for all...