Romeo & Juliet’s Cafe

Excellent pizza!!! One of the best in buffalo. Their pepper appetizer is amazing. It is a must try. Also, make sure to have one of their donuts/​pastries on your way our for dessert. You won’t be disappointed.

My wife and I have been here on many occasions and have never been nothing but impressed with the food, desert and excellent service. Keep up the great work!

I’ve been to Romeo and Juliet’s on a couple dates now and I have to say it’s a great atmosphere. They have this cute European café theme going on. They have multiple locations– Buffalo, Tonawanda, Williamsville, and Hamburg, but I’ve only been to the Buffalo locale a few times.
The first room in this Buffalo location is a bakery where you can get many takeout options. It’s very popular day and night. When you walk through that room, you meet a host stand that leads to the charming restaurant.
They have a decent selection of house wine and okay selection of beer at this location. The menu has a huge assortment of specials, soups, salads, pastas, and pizzas. On my most recent visit, I had a portobello pizza and my date had spaghetti and meatballs. We were excited by the prospect of bread before the meal but it was unfortunately quite stale. Don’t ask me how that happens when the restaurant is connected with a bakery.
Our meals were very good, though. My pizza was tasty but could have used some more flavor; I couldn’t detect the multiple flavors the menu claims make up that dish.
Overall this is a great spot on Hertel Ave. that has a good reputation in Buffalo rightfully!

Best pizza in Buffalo, hands down.
A native Italian suggest I try this place for pizza and I can’t believe I waited this long to try it out.
There aren’t very many places in Buffalo that know how to make a proper Italian style pizza — most are very good at making Buffalo-​style pizza, but the way of the thin crisp crust baked in a blazing hot oven has been mostly forgotten or lost here in favor of the warm, doughy bready sweet pizza that is the Buffalo pizza.
If you’re on the quest for the leopard mottled crust (those of you in-​the-​know know what I’m talking about) with perfectly blistered edge, this is the the only place that has thus far satisfied my craving. There are a few more places in Buffalo that serve the «wood-​fire oven baked pizza», but they’ve somehow still managed to creep a bit of the Buffalo pizza into it (usually with the tiny homel cuppy pepperonis). Great pizza great price. Really highly recommend dining family style with their salads (also fantastic, and fresh) and pizza. I would be back to try some of their other entrees, but I think the pizza is really what makes this place stand out.
Taking off a star for their baked goods — very pretty and pleasing to look at but either they need to work a little on their pastry crust (very chewy and dense), or they’re serving pastries that are a bit old. Tastes great, not quite the right consistency.

I went here about three weeks ago and my roommates and I had an amazing experience. Our server, Natalie, I believe her name was started us off with delicious bread that came with garlic spread on the side… SO good! I got a panini don’t remember which one but it was delicious. My roommates both got pasta dishes and thought they were good also! The service went hand in hand with the food. Our server was absolutely amazing! Definitely giving her a visit soon.

Our UYE Book Club met here this month; this was my first visit here. Our table was poorly located for a group discussion: The first six-​top at the entrance to the restaurant from the bakery. I ordered a caprese sandwich (The Rembrandt), which was, essentially, a tomato sandwich. Lots and lots of tomatoes. Three half-​dollar sized thin slices of mozzarella and five basil leaves on a ten-​dollar panini.
I arrived a few minutes after my fellow bookies after a long, thirsty day. Alas, no sign of a server until our meal orders were taken. Soups and salads arrived, but no water for me until my sandwich arrived. Servers circulated the dining room with water pitchers, and never returned to our table, perhaps because of the copious foot traffic tramping by our table throughout our time there. I finally got up and refilled my own water from a pitcher at a nearby station, running into our server who was tossing unused butter cubes into a basket. 1 star for the décor. 1 star for the company.
Excreable service. Disappointing food.
I now know the truth. Romeo and Juliet did not kill themselves. They died of dehydration.

Our UYE Book Club met here last night on the suggestion of one of our members. I haven’t been to Romeo & Juliet’s in years, but remembered having a great pizza experience last time. I was excited to return.
Sadly, this experience didn’t live up to my previous one. I ordered a half-​portion of the Insalata di Juliet and added chicken on for $ 3.00. During the course of the meal, our server barely checked on us and my water glass was empty for most of the meal. She was very friendly and I’m unaware of the staffing situation (maybe she was overwhelmed with other things), but I was thirsty for most of the meal.
The salad was just okay. The ingredients were fresh and the chicken was plentiful, but it was nothing special. There were a ton of toppings and dressing, but without much in the way of green stuff, I felt like I was eating forkfuls of chicken and sesame seeds instead of a salad proper. I ordered a half-​portion, which might be to blame, but a better balance between salad and accessories would have improved the meal greatly
The ambiance inside is warm and cozy with enough room to seat a medium-​sized group like ours no problem. All in all, it’s a nice, local restaurant and café. I’m would have no issue returning if a social situation required it, but probably wouldn’t recommend it as a destination to friends and family.

This review is on my experience with the restaurant as a whole, rather than on my latest visit. My favorite thing from Romeo and Juliet’s on Hertel is their margherita pizza. The cracker thin yeast crust is complimented well by the savory sauce and fresh basil, making for a delightfully light pie.
Living just around the corner from them makes it common for me to order takeout here and enjoy a leisurely stroll to pick it up.
One note regarding my latest visit: I ordered the Pasta Fagiole soup, and it was less than pleasant. The broth tasted like spaghetti o’s and it was almost overwhelming how many garbanzo beans were in it. Others at the table who had previously enjoyed said soup mentioned it looked like a different recipe than they had seen before. Maybe I got the end of the batch or something? Either way, love the pizza and will probably not have the soup again.

So we were in Buffalo for the night and wanted some New York Style Pizza. Harder to find than you would think. A lot of places advertise N.Y. Style but what is that. After some research we decided to give Romeo and Juliet’s a try.
Was expecting more of a pizza joint but this is an Italian restaurant. Kind of an old style Italian which added to the experience. They did win for the best pepperoni pizza in Buffalo a few years ago so we were excited.
Well, we were not disappointed. The pizza was delicious. Thin crust perfectly cooked with a thin layer of sauce and cheese and fresh toppings. Very good.
Totally different style than I get in California and I liked it.
We all got some Italian pastries to go which were not at the same level as their pizza. They were a little stale… maybe that was the problem. Might have made a big difference if they were fresh.
The place was pretty busy but they kept up with it.

What a delightful experience! The staff was pleasant and helpful, and the food, oh bless the hands that make this superb food! We had two pizzas (Margherita and San Vito), several filled pastries, and a sampling of cookies. Everything was very delicious. Among my favorite bites is a clam shaped pastry filled with a lightly sweetened ricotta filling; blissful with a cup of coffee. Highly recommended!

Classic restaurant with a classic Italian taste. I came here with a new intern from Italy who has just joined our company. It’s his first time in the US and I figured why not take him to Romeo & Juliet’s since I haven’t tried it yet but heard good things about. We walked in and obviously I wanted to sink me teeth into pizza. I persuaded my colleague to have pizza even though he’d just been here a month fresh out of Italy.
To my surprise (and his!), he was thoroughly impressed with the pizza here. He said this was the closest pizza to authentic Italian ones he’s had. He gave her certification and that was all I needed to hear. Towards the end of the meal, he chatted with the owner and I told him what a great restaurant he has.
Needless to say, the owner was kind enough to serve us a couple biscottis as a thank you. Ka-​ching!

I have a tendency to forget that Romeo and Juliet’s is, at it’s heart, a pizza place. If you’re ever in the mood for a salad and a pizza, I can’t possibly think of a better place in Buffalo to go. That being said, I’m not sure I’ve ever had anything beyond that combination there before.
At my last visit, I split the insalati di Juliet and margherita pizza. You’re given bread to start served with a really tasty garlic/​olive/​oil combo to spread on. The salads are HUGE. They may seem pricey at around $ 9 – 10 apiece, but they come full of the «extra» ingredients and aren’t just a giant bowl of romaine. I’ve also tried the insalata formaggio di capra, which was equally as delicious. You really can’t ever go wrong with goat cheese.
The pizzas are all thin crust and always cooked to perfection. They range from about $ 10 – 12 and you generally get about 3 – 4 slices apiece, if you’re splitting for two. They give you the option to upgrade to fresh mozzarella over grated, which you should always do! The classic margherita is always a fallback but I also recommend the pizza alle verdure (various veg, olives and cheese), the quattro formaggio. or the san Vito if you’re feeling meaty.
As for the décor… it can only be described as classic North Buffalo Italian. Plenty of seating indoors but the covered patio is where you want to sit in nice weather. There’s also a fair selection of house wines by the glass.

Great place! This was our first time dining at this location. I love love the tapenade! Although it’s more creamier at this location! Still ⁵⁄₅.
One thing I noticed that is different at this location is that there are more sauces to choose from… Pesto,
marinara, vodka sauce, can’t remember the rest. The special menu is longer at this location.
I had the eggplant stuffed seafood (crab and shrimp) with pesto sauce. I think it would taste even better with the house marinara sauce.
Yum yum yum!
LoverMan had the 5 cheese tortellini with marinara sauce. LoverMan is a man and this dish had about 15 baby tortellini… Not enough for a man.

My friends and I went here a few weeks ago. I had always heard how cute and great Romeo and Juliet’s was from numerous couples and people so i was pretty excited to try it when one of my friends suggested it for a dinner meetup. What a reasonably priced place! The décor isn’t really super italian and to be honest is kind of tacky but in a good way.
The three of us split a pizza for $ 9 and it was the perfect size for the three of us (especially since one of us had ordered other food). The pizza was really good VERY cheesy and really had a nice thin crust. We also split a truffle salad which was fairly large that again all 3 of us could split. Truffle lovers this salad is definitely a must. The truffle oil was very potent but reminded me of my trip to Italy so it was pleasant.
Overall I am excited to start going to Romeo and Juliet’s more in the summer once their patio opens up. I hear their wine bottle selection is also reasonably priced :) Update Review to come shortly…

I could write a poem about Romeo and Juliette’s. I frequent the Hertel location most often. The service is always excellent. The food is always quick to table. The complimentary tapenade with bread tides me over quite magically until it arrives. But here’s where the real magic is: the pizza is the single best pizza in Buffalo. It’s authentic italian style pizza. Because who needs NYC or Buffalo style pizza when the true source can be replicated?!
A single pie can be shared over lunch or shared with a salad for dinner. The margherita is where it’s at for me, but the pizza is lovely to. On a hungry day I can eat six slices but mostly, four does it.
Also DO NOT SKIP THEIR DESSERTS. Best cannoli in Buffalo. Cuccidatti! Cassata cake! Yes!

Ive passed this place well over 1000 times. Often thought «that looks cute». Never went in. I have however had their desserts on occasion, and they have always been enjoyable. Ive also had their food once or twice at other peoples homes, also tasty.
But recently I went in and sat down. Checked out the dessert display (yum). Checked out the small restaurant part. Perused the menu, and the specials menu (which have no prices?).
I had a soup from the specials menu, I think $ 6 on the bill. It is a very generous portion, and was great for a cold day. But not a soup I am thinking about having again. There were two soups, one was pasta fasioli, I had the other one (forgot the name). My companion had a «half salad». They don’t have a small house salad, but she got a half order of the Italian Salad. Very generous portion, in fact, so large I had some too. There was something off on the salad? perhaps the vinegar? Not balsamic, old (which I doubt in a restaurant), not aged enough? Not sure, but it was not the best dressing ever and as a result the salad, while edible was not something Id order again.
Then we shared the «award winning pepperoni pizza». That award was from 2010. The pizza is easily large enough to share, but not so huge it takes over the whole table. 8 slices? Anyway, it is a generous portion as well, $ 11. The pizza got this the 4^th star. It really is «that good». Id have this again. Maybe today. (This is not a typical Buffalo pizza, although it does have the small pepperoni we are so fond of. But its thinner, the cheese is better, and the sauce has more tang than a typical Buffalo pizza. I LOVE Buffalo pizza too, this is just not exactly that.)
I liked this place. The space is lovely to sit in. We were not rushed at all. We were not on top of the next table. Id come back again, but Id pass on the soup and salad. Maybe just for a different pizza or something else from the menu.
If I had only had the pizza this could have been a higher rating. But the rest of the meal was not at the same level as the pizza.
Parking is street or the lot across the street from the old Lunettas (which will only work until Lunettas opens again as something else).

We came here for dinner on my birthday with my whole family and it was great! There was little confusion with the reservation, we had 13 coming but we had to call 3 times for them to finally confirm! It is pretty small so a reservation is definitely needed but we sat in the room in the back which was perfect because we had basically the whole room to ourselves.
We choose Romeo & Juliets because with the young children that came, the pizza and pasta options were perfect. I personally try to avoid carb-​loaded pastas (even though I love them) but I decided to indulge for my birthday. The special menu was great but it was thrown on the table hidden under all the other plastic menus and tacky plastic placemats so we almost didn’t even see it! When I did finally ask about it I ordered the spinach ravioli with a red pepper vodka sauce and it was delicious, totally worth it! We also got plenty of appetizers, salads and pizzas, (all of which were good but nothing to really rave about– except maybe the stuff peppers those were great– stuffed full and cheesey, just how I like them) so I was quite full but HAD to get one of their fresh homemade cannolis! way better than a birthday cake :)
Overall, love it. Perfect place for somewhere that’s a nice balance between casual and classy, from family time to a date night.

I had the margarita pizza-​similar to NY style. However, I wasn’t super impressed, very little basil on the pizza and it was very salty. Service is great and the place is very cozy. I will come back again and try one of the paninis– they look delicious.

I went here a couple of weekends ago with maybe five or six friends looking for a slice of pizza, and what a delight it was to randomly bump into such great food! We had absolutely no expectations going in, and it was probably for the best because the food and service was outstanding! It totally blew all of my expectations out of the water for what pizza could be across the 90.
When we sat down, we were greeted almost instantly and our drinks came out just as fast. Shortly after followed a really well-​baked housemade sliced ciabatta loaf with an olive hummus that was an awesome starter for what would be a great meal.
And then came the dinner.
Between the six or seven of us, we split three of their showcase pizzas — one chicken pesto, one margherita, and one bianca. The chicken pesto one was by far the best, covered in olive oil, sundried tomatoes, an extremely pungent and flavorful basil pesto, and crazy-​soft diced chicken, and was well worth the inexpensive price for an 8-​slice pizza! I’m actually pretty surprised that it’s not a regular menu item because it was totally baller. I’d definitely try and ask the wait staff if they could make it for you on the spot, because it’s just that good! The other two were also very powerful contenders for the best, using fresh herbs and cheeses covered over a wonderfully homemade NYC-​style thin crust.
⁴⁄₅ stars because everything was near-​perfect and such a delight. The pizzas probably could’ve been baked for 2 — 3 minutes longer, but honestly that’s just me being picky!

What a great little restaurant! I have been wanting to come here for quite some time but the moment was never right.
After a summer day outdoors enjoying the mild buffalo summer, we all went to this place for some dinner.
It is a quaint, very casual café with some nice Italian charm.
The bread they serve was very good with lots of that flour on the crust. It is served with butter and a savory olive spread which I could not get enough of. I wonder of I could buy it in their café section?
I had the eggplant parm served with a choice of pasta or green beans.
WHOA! Thick slices of eggplant piled nicely with a cement of marinara sauce in between garnished with some grated cheese on top. I enjoyed their tangy marinara sauce immensely. The green bean side I opted in for was also excellent. (It does have cheese on it though), it made the dish a lot lighter which is exactly what I was looking for.
Also, the service here was great. Our server was seasoned, «with it», and a attentive.
I can’t wait to come back for the eggplant parm or for their famed pizza which I still (sadly) have not tried.