Cafe Mangia
| Address: | 68 Linwood Ave #1, Colchester, CT 06415, USA |
| Phone: | +1 860-537-7707 |
| Site: | cafemangia.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | Closed 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 4–9PM 10AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 69
Reviews 10
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Dustin Johnson
I had high hopes fro Cafe Mangia but it sadly failed. The place is small, but nice. The waitstaff was very attentive and they had a gentleman singing and playing guitar... but thats really where the good part ends. The food (especially for the price) was sub-par. The place seems to insist upon itself when the food quality just isnt there. Just about everything was overcooked. Ordered basil pesto bruchetta. It was burnt, didnt have any pesto flavor or enough cheese.. pasta e fagoli had good taste but was a little too much like meat sauce. Wife and kids had The pork tenderloin special with rosemary demi, one w/ garlic mash, one w. parm risotto and sauteed veggies ( onion, eggplant and something else).. the "tenderloin" was actually loin and it was not tender. The demi was good. Mash was dense and overly garlicky, risotto wasnt creamy it was sticky and also had too much garlic. The eggplant wasnt cook enough and still had the skin on which was bitter and chewy. I had Frutti di Mar... the sauce tasted burnt and was dry like they cooked it in the pan too long when preparing my meal. It was supposed to be spicy and was not. It was also quite oily. The mussels were overcooked and at least two of them were bad (although I did not get sick, bad mussels have a distinctly gross taste) the shrimp were overcooked and still had the tails... yeah because I want to grab shrimp covered in spaghetti sauce with my fingers... and the salmon had disintegrated into tiny chunks in the beat up sauce... which really didnt provide enough to begin with. All in all it was a thoroughly disappointing food experience, but the staff was great... time for them to get a new cook. Until then dont waste your money here, you can make these dishes far better at home and the price you pay for one dish will feed your whole family.
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A Private User
2 stars only because the first time we were here 6 mo ago, the food was better . This visit not so much. Started out on a low note when our waiter asked what we would like for dinner. We had not decided at that point and wanted to order appetizers and then decide on dinner. He told us he needed to place the entire order at the same time. My wife ordered the Vodka Penne, the sauce was overly thick like it had been sitting in a warmer for 2 days, the chopped prosciutto was so tough you could not chew it. I ordered the Chicken Francese, the chicken was grilled, not sautéed, overcooked, dry and flavorless, the rizzoto starchy. Ordered cannollisfor desert and although they were fresh, the shells were so thick, we had difficulty jabbing a fork through them. The riccota was good. The coffee tasted burnt. The service was good. Almost too good, this was the first time Ive ever been in a restaurant (they werent busy and in the need of tables) where the server when clearing finished plates, asked, as his hand picked it up, if my wife was finished with her wine that still had about a third of a glass remaining,,,, overall felt rushed. Very dissatisfied that this was the place we chose for our anniversary dinner, we will not be returning.
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Daniel Wenzel
Took my wife out for dinner and we were both disappointed. We ordered a limoncello martini and sangria. The martini was good, but weak for an $8 drink...the sangria was sub-par. The dipping oil with our bread was not good. Low quality olive oil and not properly spiced. It just had cayenne pepper dropped in it..no basil, oregano, garlic, etc. We ordered the bruschetta special as an appetizer. It was mediocre. One piece of bruschetta and some lettuce on the side. I was hoping our entrees would redeem the meal, but they did not. I ordered penne alla vodka with steak tips. The pasta was undercooked and the sauce was not great. My wife ordered pesto basil rigatoni with shrimp....again undercooked The shrimp, which was $2.50 extra per shrimp had no flavor. We decided to pass on dessert. On a positive note, the service was excellent. Everyone was friendly and our waitress was great. Overall value: poor; our bill was over $75.
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Katie Lewinstein
Gave 4 stars because the environment is nice and the service is great. I wasnt crazy about the penne a la vodka, or the garlic bread, but my dad vot the shrimp scampi special and that was pretty good. Its pricey and I intended on using my Groupon, but I was having an issue accessing it so wasnt able to use it, which is unfortunate, but gives me a reason to go back and try brunch. The menu is limited, which is okay, but everything is pricey and the pasta dishes dont come with any sides, such as soup or salad or bread. If it comes with bread, we didnt get any. I would try a non-pasta dish next time, and go for brunch or lunch in hopes the prices are more suitable for my budget. I said it already, but the service was really good from the server and more-so from the manager or food runner that came over a few times, be was very nice.
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Ray Crosby
It was pretty busy when I went. Service - Really slow, took 15 minutes just for a drink order. Another 20 before we got bread and placed our order. Everyone was nice but it just took way too long to get anything. Food - I ordered the steak cooked medium. It was very rare and chewy. It wasnt the worst steak Ive had but it was in the running. My friend had a good meal here when they went so I dont know if it was a bad night or what, but overall it was a real bad experience. I wont be back.
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A Private User
We happened to stop at Cafe Mangia last week on our way through town, and we absolutely loved it. The food was fantastic - particularly the option of half portions, which were perfect for a leisurely lunch. I wish we hadnt been driving, so we could have taken advantage of the wine offerings. We werent rushed through our meal, either, which provided a relaxing break in our day. I wish we lived closer so we could make this a regular stop for our lunch dates.
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A Private User
We LOVE Cafe Mangia! Went there for the first time to celebrate our anniversary and the lobster ravioli was on special. Amazing - I even crave it now! Fathers Day we took my family and had the local cheese sampler with local wine - love that theyre carrying local stuff on the menu now! The food is unbelievable, the atmosphere is great, and the service is phenomenal. One of my favorite restaurants (I even signed in to write a review!!)
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Ivy Smith
The food was delicious. The service was fantastic. Its a bit pricey, and the menu isnt very extensive, but I enjoyed it. They didnt seem to mind my son (10 months old). We went early on a Wednesday to avoid the rush. I would recommend this place to others. They even had a cozy porch with a pellet stove for warmth. We chose that seating and it was plenty warm.
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Pam Penfield
We had a delightful meal on the porch tonight! There was a slight problem with our order, but it was dealt with such finesse that it quickly became no problem at all! My husband and I both had the spaghetti with mussels and shrimp and it was to die for! We will definitely go back to this wonderful dining experience!
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A Private User
Wonderful!! Perhaps the best service of any restaurant Ive been to and fantastic food. The bad reviews on here have to be due to personal issues and not the restaurant, because I cannot imagine how anyone could say something bad about this restaurant. Adorable and excellent!
