Forte Pizzeria

My husband and I drove an hour and 25 minutes here for a family members surprise party. We did not know about the area at all or had heard of this place but if we could give it 10/10 we would! We were in a private back room and the service was amazing to begin with. I did not catch the woman’s name who was working our party but, I remember her having cool glasses and finger tattoos. She was extremely on point, polite, and knowledgeable about the area and menu when asked. Which brings me to the food… we are an Italian family so, Italian food is hard to find but, this place delivered! We had the bruschetta as an app, followed by Cesar salad. However, the winner was the mini 1st course - penne vodka in a giant pizza crust bread bowl. That was by far everyone’s favorite. My husband got chicken piccata, I got veal Marsala, and my parents go eggplant parm - all were top notch. Then finally for dessert homemade pastries! Absolutely delicious. I hope to be in the area again to eat there!

Forte is consistently amazing. The quality of the food is tops and they offer very authentic dishes that a lot of other Italian restaurants in the area simply do not. If you are a real Italian you may want to try their tripe which is better than just about anyone else's. Forte makes it with cherry peppers so it has a bit of a zing. Honestly just amazing. And their pizza is easily among the best in the area. In terms of price, they certainly are not inexpensive. But in this case you get what you pay for.

We were there 9/27/23 Service was amazing, everyone was attentive but not overbearing. The bread and Margherita sauce were delicious. I don’t usually eat bread but the sauce was so good you just want to sop it all up with bread. I could just eat this all day lol Grilled Octopus was tender yet grilled, not rubbery or tough Chicken Giambotta was good but I enjoyed my hubby’s Pork Chop Special (forgot what it was called) and he liked mine better so we swapped lol. The pork chop was delicious, nice thick slice. We came here because they were working on opening in Hackensack and heard it would be their 3rd location. So a little google search and Caldwell was closest for us to scout. ;)

Came for lunch for a birthday party. Food was delicious. Called ahead and requested the penne vodka pizza crust bowl, which was excellent. Our waitress was just okay, didn't take a drink order or asked if we wanted appetizers. Just came over to ask for our main order after a moderate wait. Then forgot to put in a personal pizza order. Wouldn't stop me from returning but left a little to be desired.

I took my wife and mother to Forte for the first time today. Upon entering the restaurant, one of the waitresses sat us at a table. We went for lunch, so we grabbed the lunch menus and placed our order. The bread was stale and hard. We received our meals, and heard the hostess complaining that we were eating on the wrong side of the restaurant. We did not seat ourselves. We were directed to a table and no one asked if we were having lunch or dinner. Our table was near the hostess stand, so we heard everything. We were right there and the hostess made some very rude comments to the other employees about us. My mother was getting upset and the experience ruined our lunch! None of the employees looked happy. There was a lot of complaining going on, and a lot of whispering. This is an unusually depressing restaurant! There is no way I’m going back there. They don’t appreciate your business, and there’s not a shred of friendliness or hospitality in the building. This is how NOT to run a business!! Fire that hostess, and anyone else that can’t crack a smile. Don’t waste your time or give this place your money. They don’t deserve it! Plenty of other options in the area.

I am in agony after having a Salmon BLT from Forte’s! I started to call instead of writing this review but they have shown me that they do not care about their customers by the way I’ve been treated after complaining. I have never been so sick in my life!

a couple weeks ago i went into get a salad of pizza with friends and when i was done with my plate, I gave it to her because i was trying to be respectful and clean up. I gave it to this lady with pink hair who worked there behind the counter, i gave her my plate and said have a great night and she ignored me and walked away and went “ugh.” my friends who were there and saw it, we were talking about how we won’t go back there because of how bad this situation was.

Beautiful restaurant - indoor / outdoor seating - Busy Pizzaria along side of the dining 🍽 area which does not interfere with your experience inside.

Charming local spot in the middle of Caldwell. Family friendly and college oriented dining spot with creative, quality Italian ingredients and dishes.

My husband, my young daughter and I walk in and are seated right away which was nice. I mention that we want to order some pizza for my daughter and the server tells us they don't serve pizza in the restaurant portion so they make us move to a table in the pizzeria right in front of the counter. THEN when a server comes to set us up with plates and silverware, the same woman that made us move tells the server "they're not ordering dinner, they just want pizza". It was the strangest initial experience at the restaurant. We order mozzarella sticks which I did not like. My husband got the mozzarella en carrazo because he wanted to try it and I liked that even less. I got the bruschetta pizza. I liked the bruschetta however the crust was stale. The one thing I really enjoyed was the mariners sauce that was served with the bread.

In the past (about 5ish years ago) I was here a handful of times - dinner, plus a few lunches. For takeout lunch I always ordered the house salad with grilled chicken. Everything was always good. BUT customer service was always iffy. It was my experience back then that the girls taking orders weren't the friendliest. Not that I needed to be gushed over, but a smile and a "thank you" isn't that hard. The guys on the other hand were friendlier. On Saturday I popped by on my way to an appointment and got a slice of pepperoni pizza to hold me over until I got home. The pizza IMO was OK, but definitely not the best I've ever had. I'm not a fan of thick crusts, and this slice had that. The one saving grace was the pepperoni. But let's face it, anything with pepperoni is good. I can't really give 4 stars because of the pizza experience. But the guy who helped me was very sweet

We were there 9/27/23 Service was amazing, everyone was attentive but not overbearing. The bread and Margherita sauce were delicious. I don't usually eat bread but the sauce was so good you just want to sop it all up with bread. I could just eat this all day lol Grilled Octopus was tender yet grilled, not rubbery or tough Chicken Giambotta was good but I enjoyed my hubby's Pork Chop Special (forgot what it was called) and he liked mine better so we swapped lol. The pork chop was delicious, nice thick slice. We came here because they were working on opening in Hackensack and heard it would be their 3rd location. So a little google search and Caldwell was closest for us to scout. ;)

The food was perfect. We started out with fried calamari and warm red sauce and a steaming bowl of pasta faigolia soup. I preorder my chicken cacciatore on the bone because it takes about a hour to cook. It was so so tasty and the mushrooms, onions and peppers were done just right the sauce wasn't too sweet. My husband had spaghetti with clam sauce and the sauce was topped off with the right amount of lemon and butter. Our friends had chicken parmigiana and veal scallopini. Veal and chicken done to perfection. The waiter knew how to serve the food and when to come by to see if we needed anything else. So much food, enough for dinner for the next night. Too full for dessert. Highly recommend going to Forte in Verona,NJ off of Bloomfield Ave

Been going to Forte on and off for the last 15 years. From pizza to dinners. Food is sometimes great and other times just okay. Today was a deal breaker for me as a customer. I went in around 4:15 to get some slices to go. As i was being waited on i watched in dismay as one of the pizza makers was at his station and texting on his phone. He put down his phone right next to him and grabbed a dough to make a pizza. How gross is this. Phones are the dirtiest thing in our lives. Here is a guy making food with his hands after texting on his dirty phone. By the time I got home i was so grossed out I couldn't eat my pizza at the thought of this.

I took my wife and mother to Forte for the first time today. Upon entering the restaurant, one of the waitresses sat us at a table. We went for lunch, so we grabbed the lunch menus and placed our order. The bread was stale and hard. We received our meals, and heard the hostess complaining that we were eating on the wrong side of the restaurant. We did not seat ourselves. We were directed to a table and no one asked if we were having lunch or dinner. Our table was near the hostess stand, so we heard everything. We were right there and the hostess made some very rude comments to the other employees about us. My mother was getting upset and the experience ruined our lunch! None of the employees looked happy. There was a lot of complaining going on, and a lot of whispering. This is an unusually depressing restaurant! There is no way I'm going back there. They don't appreciate your business, and there's not a shred of friendliness or hospitality in the building. This is how NOT to run a business!! Fire that hostess, and anyone else that can't crack a smile. Don't waste your time or give this place your money. They don't deserve it! Plenty of other options in the area.

Without a doubt the best penne vodka slice I've ever had. A lot of pizza places make the dough and throw on some penne vodka pasta and when you go and try and eat it the pasta falls right off the pizza. At Forte however, you'll notice how heavy each slice is because it's a dense slice of pizza, with baked penne vodka pasta on top. Not only do you get the gooey flavor from the mozzarella cheese of the pizza, but also get to enjoy penne vodka pasta piled on top. Hoping to go back tomorrow if I can talk my friends into going with me.

Forte is a cute spot for Italian food. I usually get the parpadelle quatro, which is delicious and hits the spot every time. The person I went with got the pizza and thoroughly enjoyed it. Service was good, but I didn't love where they sat us which was right next to the counter where folks pick up their orders. The ambiance is typically for a pizzeria/ristorante.

The chicken franchese and mozzarella sandwich was really good if not just for the originality, but it might be better if it had something like sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers because it was missing something. The pepperoni pizza was amazing and might be the best in the area. The Caesar salad with chicken was also really good.

I've been ordering here for well over 30 years now and I have yet to have one meal wasn't up to par. Everything they serve is cooked perfectly and above all delicious! To dine in is a bonus, but their deliveries are always on time. And if it's going to be a while, they will be honest and tell you it will be a while. The finest Italian food and pizzeria anywhere in the area!

Consistently good food and service. Love the garlic knots and warm sandwiches. Grandma's slice pizza is also really good

I have been coming here for years. Always thought food was competent and well prepared. Not any more. Dishes seem haphazardly conceived and put together. Telephone ordering is rude and dismissive. The whole situation/experience is now mediocre, at best. This has happened while prices have gone sky high. This place now need real work

Good food but very loud as it was difficult to talk or have conversations without yelling

Finally did takeout from Forte which always has customers inside and outside. Phoned in order and it was ready in 30, as they said. The thin large cheese pizza was very tasty. Calamari with spicy tomato sauce, good and bountiful serving. Star of the evening: arugula salad limone. We were both surprised how flavorful that was, and it was wonderful with the other dishes. We have now tried many Italian spots in Verona and Caldwell, yet we are not close to trying them all! So many Italian spots here that it truly is Little Italy in NJ. We now understand why Forte has such a loyal customer base, even when the virus was roaring. We will return.

This was my first time at a Forte pizza. It was a Saturday at 11:15am after running a 5K race across the street. I ordered the Sicilian slice and what I learned to be a Thai Chili slice. I started with the Thai and then cooled down with the Sicilian. I enjoyed my meal while watching ESPN and soccer on the televisions and listening to Christmas music. The slices appeared to be fairly large with a crust of medial crunchiness. They were very tasty and very much recommended.

Pasta Fagioli best in U. S. I have tried this in different restaurants across the North East (including NEW YORK) no e compare

The stars are for #1 the food #2 the cordial staff. The ambience is meh, a bit old, a bit run down but you know, some things are better with age. If you love tomatoes, this is the place, skip the butter for the bread and dig into the delicious stewed tomatoes which comes along the bread. You'll thank me later. The menu is extensive ( which is usually a red flag, think: Cheesecake Factory) but every dish here is not only huge and scrumptious too! I simply opted for the stuffed shells of my youth as they seem to be a rare menu item these days and I was in stuffed shell heaven. This was the most ever piled onto a place with the perfect amount of ricotta and mozzarella...and that sauce! Delisioso! The broccoli rabe, sausage...so good! The food would make any italian grandma proud.

Yo...this place is so good. Bustling with college students and locals. The bottom layer of the pizza is crispy all the way to the crust! The dough is so light and airy. Omg. I will say, the blue cheese on the buffalo chicken pizza is super dank, so if you are a fan of that this pizza is right up your alley. As you can see from the pic, I couldn't wait to take a pic before biting into the grandma pizza. Although the grandma pizza has a simple ingredient list, the flavors were not. The pizza sauce was so flavorful accompanied with the mozz cheese. Bruh. Notes: A MUST TRY.

very frustrated with this restaurant. Have tried on multiple occasions to speak to someone about getting a reservation, and they are so busy that they can't be bothered to take the information, or they take the information and never get back to me to confirm the reservation. While I have enjoyed the food here, they aren't the only place around that has good food. Service starts when you have opportunities to speak with your customers, whether they are calling, or are in your establishment.

Always on the quest for the best pizza and Fortes didn't disappoint. For a Sunday afternoon the order to pickup time wasn't bad. Wings were really good, was surprised they didn't offer mild but offered BBQ, plain or spicy. Pizza was really good, the grandma was as well but was a little burnt on the crust. All in all a really good pizza place!

I love Forte. it's my favorite place to eat in and order out . However, I think the delivery charge is a joke ! $3.00 fee for delivery abd it DOES NOT go to driver . Driver uses own car and gas. total rip to the delivery boy ! I tipped him $5.00 on my order but feel he should get the $8.00

The food is good expensive and just simply okay. The girls that answer the phones are always passively rude and dull. With all the different Italian spots in Caldwell, it's not easily missed.

Wifey and I were heading to a comedy show in Montclair and needed a bite to eat. My daughter used to come to this Forte all the time when she was in high school and we had also eaten here a number of times. We decided to just get some slices since we were in a bit of a hurry and the place was pretty packed. We ordered a Penne vodka slice, one Sausage slice and two plain slices. The slices were tasty and hit the spot. I've never been a huge fan of the crust at Forte as it's a little crispy for my taste, but that's just my personal preference. This place always seemed to be packed, but they put people through quickly and their take out seems pretty smooth and fast. If I'm in the area I'd be back, but it's way too far away to be a regular pizza joint for me.

Forte is currently my top choice as the last meal I'll eat before I die. If I'm on my death bed, I wanna go out with a plate of their incredible chicken francese and their decadent lava cake to top it off. The house made marinara is so fresh. It comes in a giant bowl and I could definitely eat the whole thing. Service is awesome and waitstaff is friendly. I also love the intimate atmosphere. I can't recommend this place enough!!

We got our normal half margarita and half white pizza from Forte'a a while ago. We looooved the margarita! It was a great balance between the sauce and cheese. The crust was crispy and delicious too! We didn't love the white pizza- it wasn't our favorite but it certainly satisfied a craving. I'll def go back, maybe this time try the vodka pie slice!

Outdoor eating is now the norm and Forte has capacity with reservations. Nice that we could bring my playmate cooler filled beer wine and after dinner drinks. Comfy seating for 6 with bruschetta as an appetizer led to my Zuppa Di Pesce that was just the right amount of Scallops, shrimp, calamari, scungilli and lobster tail over linguini. Sauce was good but seemed the shrimp and lobster were over cooked and the scallops had the Sodium triphosphate aka metallic flavor. My girl had Eggplant Parm with salad that she enjoyed very much with half coming home. The rest at dinner enjoyed their meals and after Chocolate Cake and Cheese cake we were thinking about the gym but instead hung out the parking lot for a few drinks. Service was great, staff friendly and will come back.

Very simple review . Reasonably priced compared to other similar restaurants. Short-staffed like most of the other restaurants . Food is average , won't "knock your socks off". Shrimp dinners were the same . Shrimp quality and texture "middle of the road". Formal dining area is kind of small . This restaurant typical pizzeria quality food or what you would expect in a good pizzeria . If you want a fine 5-star Italian restaurant , this is not the place . Kind of a good casual pizzeria . Not bad .

One of NJ best spots for authentic , family Italian! Love their creative pizzas! Grandpa, Grandma, Tommy and their latest breakfast pies!! Love it!

This is one of the best places in North Jersey for commodious, homey Italian fare and pizza, a favorite "go to" for my family and many friends I've sent there over the years. My personal favorite is the eggplant parmigiana. This is one of the few places---even among Italian joints who should know better---which gets that you DON'T bury the eggplant slices in breading and drown them in oil when you make what is, authentically, a light, fresh-tasting dish. The pappardelle quattro formaggio (4 cheese) is "to die for", absolutely delicious. Caution: You could literally die FROM eating too much of this insanely rich dish if you ate it regularly...we've found the solution to our craving by sharing it as an appetizer. Go that route and save your appetite. Finally, the escarole and bean soup is as close as you'll get to your grandmas. The desserts don't seem to be anything special but they don't factor into this review because that is not, for me, an important part of any meal. The service can sometimes be abrupt but in our experience that is only the case when the place is extremely busy. Even then, we have always found it to be welcoming and friendly. Highly recommended....but pass if your idea of good Italian is the Olive Garden.

The other night I had the worst dining experience of my life and worst service I've ever received at a restaurant. Everyone was rude but especially the waiter. Unwelcoming and rude from the start. Based on the service I would never come back here but the pizza is delicious. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars. The service is 0 stars that's how bad but the food is 4 or 5 stars. I'll be doing take out from now on and would never dine here again.

Love this place, but when they charge more than the price on the menus, it's very annoying.

We have been coming to Forte for hers. I used to love the food. Tonight I found my veal tough. Others at my table complained the chicken was tough as well. My brandy sauce was gloopy. The overriding flavor was salt. No one in my party was raving. Very mediocre.

I have read some really good reviews and heard from people as well that Forte is a really good spot to eat. So we tried the place out. The place was packed. Hostess was sweet and helpful and service was fine. All I can say is that the food was average. Not good not bad. I had the chicken piccata that lacked overall flavor. It was just ok. The Calamari was also just ok. The other people that were eating had felt the same about their food. What was also interesting for this average chicken dish, they charge $28. Much better options in Caldwell and the surrounding areas.

This place has been a standby for delicious Italian for years. My husband hasn't been so while in the area, we decided to go for dinner. The place isn't too big and is divided btw a more casual spot and a slightly nicer part w/cloth tablecloths. We opted to sit in the nicer side and were greeted w/a big helping of Italian bread and marina for dipping. Service is fairly fast and attentive which is good. BYOB as well. We decided to try the grilled eggplant appetizer special for $15 which was really good. Well cooked w/o being overly chewy with a good helping of vinaigrette. We then split the eggplant rollatini for $17 and the rigatoni vodka for $14. The rollatini (3) was well cooked and flavorful with a healthy helping of mozzarella on top. Also very filling! The creamy vodka sauce over rigatoni was also a good choice and recommended. Nothing entirely new or inventive - just good, reliable, classic Italian food that is exactly what you expect.

Love this place always a great meal! Muscles and calamari are amazing. I can't wait to have a party here.

Undercooked dough, cheap sauce, very floppy, I've had better in the area if you're looking for pizza

My niece, 2 little great nieces and me had a nice lunch at Forte. We ordered at the counter and our food was brought to us (rather quickly). Service was very good, all the guys behind the counter were very friendly and accommodating. I had the Veal Cutlet sandwich... tender and crisp with just the right amount of mayo. My niece had the burger and fries. The burger was done just right and fries were excellent. My 2 little nieces had the spaghetti and meatballs. They said they liked it but... said it was not as good as their Nauna's. (lol). The little one's also shared a bowl of their chicken noodle soup and gave it a thumbs up. They do have table service with servers but we opted for the pizza counter area. This was my first time here and I would definitely go back.

So I'm at Forte right now 8/20/20 it's 8:37 pm with my family Ahhhh so far a disappointing I'm in a pay no mind table to start with Ordered Mussels Marinara Hot spicy They came cold, not spicy at all, enough closed shells, empty shells, cracked shells So far, Not Happy!!! So we ordered pizza Got 3 individual pizza The size was good 10 in each I ordered the grandma my family order 2 plain individual pizzas Knew in trouble when asked for crushed red, grated cheese, garlic before pizza came They gave us to of each I think there was a mistake in the kitchen It looked like a margarita pie Tasted like matzah with mozzarella, sauce, lots of basil Definitely didn't look like grandma pie Definitely didn't taste like grandma pie Not coming back again

Just the best. Delicious pizza, delicious salad, delicious everything. Great service. Tiny but thats how you know it's good! We eat at Forte at least once a week!

Walked in there for the first time and was given a proper and friendly greeting. There was one last Sicilian pizza there waiting for me. The girl behind the counter assured me that she'd revive it and it would be delicious. I trusted her and she was right. Pizza was amazing. Service was amazing! She's quite friendly! Had a coffee that was freshly brewed which was also good although I kinda wished that had illy! Anyway this is the only type of place I'd have a pizza in NJ- a gourmet, Italian restaurant. No more hole in the wall places that always end up I'm sheer disappointment. Finally, the ambiance was spectacular. I will def pay a other visit to this place.

I have been to FORTE about a half a dozen times with friends and family over the past 6 or 7 years and tonight we went for a New Year's dinner of sorts because my niece is leaving for school overseas next week and I'm returning to the west coast. FORTE is located at 182 Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell and they have a new room which is spacious for large parties. We were a party of six and I had Cavatelli with Broccoli and Chicken for $17.99 and an Ice Tea (sweetened) and a cup of coffee. We shared two appetizers (roasted peppers and mozzarella as well as the Calamari), both were excellent. FORTE has many takeout customers and the place was jammed when we got there around 7:20 PM and the place started to clear out when we left around 9:15 PM. Their menu is extensive and the pizza is delicious on previous visits. The number is 973-403-9411 and the web address is www.fortepizzeria.com! FORTE is an excellent selection for Pizza or more formal from appetizers hot and cold, wraps, sandwiches, desserts, paninis, pasta, chicken, seafood and an array of sides. FORTE: HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Oh Fortes...you are amazing! I was visiting NJ today and had to bring Fortes pizza home for the husband. This was one of our favorite spots when I lived there. My favorites are the ceasar, baked ziti, and bruschetta slices. My husband loves the buffalo chicken and chicken bacon ranch slices. We also always get 2 orders of garlic knots (4 knots are $1!) and they are delicious. The service is always very friendly and quick! They are always extremely busy, so don't expect a lot of small talk because they need to keep things moving, but not a bad thing at all in my eyes. There is also the option to sit and enjoy a slower paced, good Italian meal. They have a separate sit down area in both restaurants. You can also sit down and enjoy your slices ordered up front, so many options.

Some of the best Italian food! It's half pizzeria if you're feeling casual and half restaurant if you want to do some nice indoor dining. I've had all there different pizza slices and they taste so good. I've had their gnocchi which I highly recommend. I love this place so much

I really enjoyed the pizza from Forte. The two slices I tried were the penne vodka and the plain. The penne vodka slice had a crispy base with a vodka sauce that was on the mild side. The slice had excellent cheese and a fluffy, bready crust. The plain slice featured a charred crust with a crispy, thin base. The sauce had excellent flavor and the greasy cheese was also delicious. I would happily stop in again!

Old fashion Italian food with great service. The food is plentiful and Tommy and his team will make sure you are satisfied. We could not finish any of our main dishes and took them home. One disappointment was the fish that was over cooked but was very fresh. The Tiramisu is tasty and is accompanied with extra scoops of Mascarpone. The espresso is great but needs a bigger slice of lemon peel. We are definitely going back soon and can not wait to try the Pizza.

Tasty and large portions of standard italian selections. Pricing is 70% higher than the Yelp on-line menu and what i would expect to pay for the same food in a much more comfortable setting (chicken selections now run $29.95 vs $17.49 on yelps presented menu). Wait staff on our recent visit was mostly superb. Octopus appetizer consisted of tentacles sliced lengthwise into small medalions, unusual and unappreciated style with much more arugula than octopus. 3% added for CC payment which may have been somewhere in the small print but not appreciated when the CC charge was higher than the bill presented at the table, without clear notice or explanation.

Stopped on a weeknight and didn't realize the kitchen closed at 9:00, it was 8:45 and they were very accommodating. We quickly went through the menu and ordered 2 apps and three dinners. The Ginger Calamari and the Mozzarella en Carrozza in Francaise Sauce. Both were amazingly tasty but the Calamari was thick and very chewy. I wouldn't order it again but i wont take off any stars either. I ordered Boneless Chicken Savoy and Salad for dinner, my son Chicken Parm over Angel hair, and his girl Fettuccini Alfredo. All of us loved our meals and had a lot left over. A tad pricy but again, lots of food. I will be back. I assume it was the owner, he also approached us asking how it was. Service was on point! They also bring a nice basket of bread with a Chunky Tomato dipping bowl. Omg awesome!

I am a Retired Captain of Essex County and on a monthly basis my Officers and I meet for dinner. Now it's not easy working with us since there are at least 16 to 20 of at any given time and each of us ordering sometime different. Our food comes out on time and we are able to enjoy some of the Best Tasting Italian Food and Good Friendship. There has not been a time that our food was not GOOD its been GREAT! Before I leave for home like many of us we put in an Order to Go. The Price is Right the Food is Excellent. I highly Recommend Forte Caldwell or Randolph they are Both Excellent!