Cafe Rinaldi Old Forge is well known for their risotto and delicious trays of pizza. The restaurant is one of many “pizza cafes” on Main Street in the Pizza Capital of the World. This article gives you a sense of just how close together the local pizzerias are in Old Forge complete with my review of the pizza!

Always Close to Another Pizzeria While in Old Forge

After taking the First Lady of NEPA Pizza for dinner and a pizza at Cusumano, we walked to our car in the parking lot, I buckled my seatbelt, and turned right out of the parking lot. It was like a scene cut straight out of a low budget Dumb and Dumber movie – as soon as I turned right, the First Lady asked “Where are you going?” To which I responded – “Cafe Rinaldi to grab a pizza to go!” I quickly learned that Cusumano and Rinaldi are adjacent buildings and we actually walked farther to our car in the parking lot than we would have just walking next door to Rinaldi! So I had a bit of a brain fart in pizza town!

After realizing I was a total idiot, and that only such an incident could occur in a tiny town with so many pizzerias, I put the car in reverse and parked curbside to take a look around. The facade and signage were pretty modern and upscale and this looked like a neat place to eat. I opened the door and saw that the place was absolutely mobbed with joyful people eating, drinking, and conversing to their hearts’ delight. It was a really neat atmosphere and good to see that they were very busy on a weeknight. I walked into the bar side to pick up my order, so I didn’t get a chance to check out all of the dining room, but everything looked clean, modern, and vibrant. I was immediately helped by a friendly lady, and was on my way way with my 6 cut old forge red. As I exited, I made a note that I would have to bring the First Lady back to Cafe Rinaldi for dinner because some of the entrees I scouted out looked amazing and the smell was intoxicating.

Checking out the Tray

A cheesy old forge red tray from Cafe Rinaldi in Old Forge, PA.

The pizza was piping hot in my hands as I set it down on one of the very nice outdoor tables on the sidewalk/patio to take a look and snap a few photos. My first impression was that this pizza had a ton of cheese on it and that is where most of the weight came from. I couldn’t help myself from filming an epic cheese stretch video for instagram! When I realized I was standing on the side of the road with people staring at me taking photos of a pizza and my wife was waiting in the pizza mobile, I knew it was finally time to get in the car and try the pizza.

My first bite netted a spongy and soft crust, a heavy layer of a tasty cheese blend, and some sauce which was pretty well seasoned. A few more bites told me that the entire middle of the crust was also soft and quite chewy with the edges being crispy with perhaps a hint of oil splashed on the bottom for added flavor and crispiness. Where the crust didn’t blow me away, and in many cases this much cheese would sap away the rest of the flavors of the pizza, the zestiness of the sauce created enough punch to balance it out nicely. I very much enjoyed the flavor contrasts and buttery profile of the cheese. I wouldn’t even venture to guess what the cheese blend was but I do know both I and the first lady enjoyed it. I will also note that the pizza reheated quite well the next day and tasted good cold.

Cafe Rinaldi Left Me Wanting More

Overall, I was left wanting more of Cafe Rinaldi after my very quick stop. The pizza was good to be an appetizer for the table or a tray for takeout, but I’m not sure I’d make the trip to have the pizza be the main event. People on my social media accounts seem to prefer the white pizza here, which I haven’t tried. I want to go back for the atmosphere and a dinner though! This place is hopping and I very much look forward to our next visit. If you’ve tried the pizza at Cafe Rinaldi, please share your thoughts in the comment section!

Cafe Rinaldi Pizza Rating Scores

Restaurant: Cafe Rinaldi
Location: 426 S Main St, Old Forge, PA 18518
Date: October 2018
Eat In/Take Out: Take Out

Rating CategoryRating Score
Crust7.2
Sauce7.6
Cheese7.6
Taste7.3
Crispy/Cooked Properly8.1
Value6.8
Overall Rating7.4
Rating of Cafe Rinaldi’s Old Forge Red Pizza

Pizza is Similar to: Cali’s Don Tomaso PeatzaRoosevelt Beer Garden, Anthony’s

Talk Pizza With Me on Social Media!