Upon entering the hostess asked what I wanted. When I said I was there to get dinner, I was informed they had only spaghetti, Lasagne, and pizza available. I sat down at an empty table and looked over the pizza menu. Immediately, one caught my eye. A BBQ pork belly pizza. I tried to order it only to be told it was no longer available, replaced by a brisket pizza. But, they were out of brisket as well as beef for any pizzas which listed it. I looked back over the menu and decided to get a pepperoni pizza. When I got it, it was fine. Not the best or worst I ever had. Crust was a little too foldy for my preference and toppings fell off when I tried to pick it up, but manageable.TL;DR Decent pizza with decent enough service. Probably won't be back but not a wasted trip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Kristin McCallum
Loved this place! Seriously best Italian food I’ve had in such a long time!! Very authentic! Delicious food!! Good portion sizes, but not crazy too much. Our waitress Madeline made our first experience so amazing! She was handling the restaurant as the only server and she was so kind, accommodating and friendly to us and others. What I loved so much was we tried the chef specials, the pasta was so good with herbs, real veggies, and shrimp it didn’t need anymore than the olive oil and garlic sauce.. I’m a sauce loving girl and this pasta was amazing with not your typical sauce. The atmosphere was perfect for a special date night, a drink with a girl friend, or you can even reserve the back room for a party. The service, and food were out of this world! We cannot wait to come back ❤️❤️ Thank you for having a classic true Italian place in Cowlitz county!
They were having a rough night. Staff out at the restaurant and theater, so being short staffed caused the service to suffer. The manager and one wait staff were kind and apologized, and we totally understand because it was busy, but we finally decided to leave after an hour and a half without being served our dinner, and ended up just getting it to go. I was surprised we weren't comped any part of the meal; drinks, appetizer, or one entree. It is what it is, as I know money is crucial for small businesses, and we had delicious leftovers to eat the next day.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Cheese Fondue
jay gibbs
me and my bf went here for our 2 year and its a really nice place! they always checked up on us and unfortunately they are severely understaffed but nonetheless they made the experience worth it! it ended up taking a while but they were the sweetest people ever! i cant wait to go here again and give them another shot. their food is AMAZING. the pizza is so delicious and my bf got the chicken alfredo(which i also tried) and it was so good. i wish we would've ordered more, definitely will next timeVegetarian options: a lot of the pizzas are vegetarian and they also specify they can cater to your dietary needs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stone Fired Pizzas, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Shannon
We are from out of town and came here on date night not knowing what to expect. We had such a great experience with the food and people! We had the Mediterranean pizza (that sourdough crust!) and the bruschetta. Both items were so delicious. We added on a bottle of the house red and it was so yummy. There is so much thought that goes into everything. We can’t wait to bring my family here to dine and watch a movie in their spectacular theater next door. Thanks for an amazing experience, Backstage Cafe!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stone Fired Pizzas
Jean U
I feel like the food doesn’t taste as good as it used to be. The cheese fondue used to have lots of poached garlic and the top used to have almost like roasted crunchy cheese crust, but this time it was flat and greasy with barely any garlic. They were out on a lot of stuff, so the menu felt very limited. We ended up getting The osso Bucco because it has always been one of our favorites. However, it didnt taste the same not, it wasn’t Osso Bucco. The presentation wasn’t there anymore. It tasted very bland, there wasn’t those little balsamic glazed balls thingy in it. We felt like the Demi-glazed it has no flavor, it was just a meat broth over the polenta. The beef was still tender but it just was it. The overall dish tasted like a pot roast with polenta and Brussel sprouts. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what we wanted. I don’t know, maybe we went on a bad night?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Sherrie Diamond
My husband and my favorite place! Great food, romantic atmosphere, magical staff. It doesn't get any better than the Backstage
Loved it. Good food, great portions, yummy wine and great staff and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fonduta, Chicken Alfredo
gordygroover
My wife and I regulars. I always get the Aglio y olio ( garlic and oil pasta). The kitchen knows to tweak my dish a little to my liking and this customizing keeps us coming back weekly. First name basis with all the staff is a plus with any dining scenario.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathy Robinson
The food was awesome and service very attentive. Our favorite place for dinner in Kelso!
The food here is excellent! My favorite is the La Tua Pasta because I can pick my own pasta and sauce. Great atmosphere for getting together with friends or co workers.
Hidden jem, perfect for date night, with excellent food. Quiet, refined atmosphere, but not over the top fancy. It's also the only place I can find osso buco, and it's decadent, delicious, and affordable.I live an hour away, near Portland, but this place is so outstanding that we occasionally make the drive just for this place.If you want a quiet meal, to impress a date, or just delicious food, this is the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle Luden
Great food & great prices! A nostalgic vibe for sure!
Upon entering the hostess asked what I wanted. When I said I was there to get dinner, I was informed they had only spaghetti, Lasagne, and pizza available. I sat down at an empty table and looked over the pizza menu. Immediately, one caught my eye. A BBQ pork belly pizza. I tried to order it only to be told it was no longer available, replaced by a brisket pizza. But, they were out of brisket as well as beef for any pizzas which listed it. I looked back over the menu and decided to get a pepperoni pizza. When I got it, it was fine. Not the best or worst I ever had. Crust was a little too foldy for my preference and toppings fell off when I tried to pick it up, but manageable.TL;DR Decent pizza with decent enough service. Probably won't be back but not a wasted trip.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Loved this place! Seriously best Italian food I’ve had in such a long time!! Very authentic! Delicious food!! Good portion sizes, but not crazy too much. Our waitress Madeline made our first experience so amazing! She was handling the restaurant as the only server and she was so kind, accommodating and friendly to us and others. What I loved so much was we tried the chef specials, the pasta was so good with herbs, real veggies, and shrimp it didn’t need anymore than the olive oil and garlic sauce.. I’m a sauce loving girl and this pasta was amazing with not your typical sauce. The atmosphere was perfect for a special date night, a drink with a girl friend, or you can even reserve the back room for a party. The service, and food were out of this world! We cannot wait to come back ❤️❤️ Thank you for having a classic true Italian place in Cowlitz county!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Huge Prawns, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Ravioli
They were having a rough night. Staff out at the restaurant and theater, so being short staffed caused the service to suffer. The manager and one wait staff were kind and apologized, and we totally understand because it was busy, but we finally decided to leave after an hour and a half without being served our dinner, and ended up just getting it to go. I was surprised we weren't comped any part of the meal; drinks, appetizer, or one entree. It is what it is, as I know money is crucial for small businesses, and we had delicious leftovers to eat the next day.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Cheese Fondue
me and my bf went here for our 2 year and its a really nice place! they always checked up on us and unfortunately they are severely understaffed but nonetheless they made the experience worth it! it ended up taking a while but they were the sweetest people ever! i cant wait to go here again and give them another shot. their food is AMAZING. the pizza is so delicious and my bf got the chicken alfredo(which i also tried) and it was so good. i wish we would've ordered more, definitely will next timeVegetarian options: a lot of the pizzas are vegetarian and they also specify they can cater to your dietary needs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stone Fired Pizzas, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
We are from out of town and came here on date night not knowing what to expect. We had such a great experience with the food and people! We had the Mediterranean pizza (that sourdough crust!) and the bruschetta. Both items were so delicious. We added on a bottle of the house red and it was so yummy. There is so much thought that goes into everything. We can’t wait to bring my family here to dine and watch a movie in their spectacular theater next door. Thanks for an amazing experience, Backstage Cafe!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stone Fired Pizzas
I feel like the food doesn’t taste as good as it used to be. The cheese fondue used to have lots of poached garlic and the top used to have almost like roasted crunchy cheese crust, but this time it was flat and greasy with barely any garlic. They were out on a lot of stuff, so the menu felt very limited. We ended up getting The osso Bucco because it has always been one of our favorites. However, it didnt taste the same not, it wasn’t Osso Bucco. The presentation wasn’t there anymore. It tasted very bland, there wasn’t those little balsamic glazed balls thingy in it. We felt like the Demi-glazed it has no flavor, it was just a meat broth over the polenta. The beef was still tender but it just was it. The overall dish tasted like a pot roast with polenta and Brussel sprouts. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what we wanted. I don’t know, maybe we went on a bad night?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
My husband and my favorite place! Great food, romantic atmosphere, magical staff. It doesn't get any better than the Backstage
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Stuffed Mushrooms, Stone Fired Pizzas, Cheese Fondue, Huge Prawns, Fonduta, Chicken Alfredo, Ravioli
Loved it. Good food, great portions, yummy wine and great staff and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fonduta, Chicken Alfredo
My wife and I regulars. I always get the Aglio y olio ( garlic and oil pasta). The kitchen knows to tweak my dish a little to my liking and this customizing keeps us coming back weekly. First name basis with all the staff is a plus with any dining scenario.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was awesome and service very attentive. Our favorite place for dinner in Kelso!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food here is excellent! My favorite is the La Tua Pasta because I can pick my own pasta and sauce. Great atmosphere for getting together with friends or co workers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spaghetti Meatballs, Chicken Alfredo, Ravioli
Really excellent here we are
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spaghetti Meatballs
Excellent food, charming place. Love it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hidden jem, perfect for date night, with excellent food. Quiet, refined atmosphere, but not over the top fancy. It's also the only place I can find osso buco, and it's decadent, delicious, and affordable.I live an hour away, near Portland, but this place is so outstanding that we occasionally make the drive just for this place.If you want a quiet meal, to impress a date, or just delicious food, this is the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food & great prices! A nostalgic vibe for sure!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Risotto, Fonduta