Cucina Locale

Just found this little place, great za and sandwiches. Nice place got lunch, definitely drop in

A nice small gem for italian food!
Location/​décor:
— The restaurant is a small little building on the south side of Hwy 7 and it is a bit tough to spot if you are driving by the strip plaza (right by Mr Jerk)
— Due to the size, parking is quite limited
— Inside, you’ll find a quaint laid back interior with enough seating for 15 or so people. Great place to chat and catch up without being drowned out by noise
— The kitchen is visible from the counter so you can easily see and smell the great food cooking up.
Food:
— We had a pizza craving and decided to order types of pizza: Napoli and Locale
— Portions were big for individual sized pizzas
— The pizzas had a nice thin crust with chewy dough without being overly thin and dried out. Topping were excellent — I loved my Napoli with anchovies, mozzarella and tomatoes. The Locale was very tasty as well with big slices of proscuitto and buffalo mozzarella. Both were a definite hit.
— We didn’t get a chance to try the sandwiches or pasta but while we were waiting I could see him cooking the pasta and it smelled great.
In general, Cucina is a great little Italian gem that makes for a casual dinner with tasty food. Prices are very reasonable and we will definitely return to try the rest of the food.

Pizza was just ok. Ordered take out. Pizza was cold after 10 mins. Was looking forward to trying this place but not sure we’d go back.

Been going here for quite a while now but recently have been disappointed. The owner is super friendly and great with kids. You can tell he’s passionate about his food. However, the past few months he’s had some turnover in the kitchen and the new guy (Indian dude) doesn’t cut it.
Our past two visits were a disaster. We usually order 2 pizzas and two pastas and a Caesar salad. One time our food took over 2 hours! to come because the new guy couldn’t keep up. Yesterday (Friday evening) half our party had the runs after dinner.
I’d recommend only coming on non peak times where the owner is the only chef. Will be giving Cucina Locale a break and won’t be coming back until late summer. Hopefully they have some new staff by then.

Had a hankering for pizza and I decided to look for something in the area that wasn’t the usual chains. I have driven by this place all the time (it is on highway 7) but this was my first time eating here. All in all, it wasn’t too bad, but the layout was a bit confusing so I wasn’t sure how to order/​pay the bill.
Staff: When I walked in I wasn’t sure if we were to order up at the front order, seat ourselves, or wait for someone to seat us. Eventually a gentleman peeked his head through from the kitchen and offered us a seat. They definitely could benefit from an extra staff member or two. I know it wasn’t busy, but having one person cook, take orders, set up the tables, and handle the register caused the service to be lacking. But I will say that the food came out very quickly and the gentleman was very friendly.
Ambience: When you walk in there are tables and you can see the kitchen. It’s small to moderate size but still plenty of space and tables. The parking lot is tiny and it is a bit hard to get to if there’s lots of traffic on Highway 7 (I almost overshot it as I drove). It’s got a modern Italian restaurant feel to it.
Food: I ordered the Tradizionale pizza. My initial reaction was that the peppers were huge! I didn’t mind, but I surely didn’t expect them to be so big. I ended up eating it when a knife and fork because it was a thin crust. It was what I would imagine an Italian home cooked meal would be like. The flavours were spot on, the crust was good, the toppings were just right. And I was so full by the end of it!
Definitely a good place to go if you’re craving Italian in the area!

Visited here for dinner on a recent Saturday night around 7pm. Just as we entered, a table with two patrons just came available, so we were lucky to be able to get a seat. The place is small and was packed. Glancing at orders as the food was being served made us extra hungry as everything looked absolutely delicious!
We decided on a caprese salad to share which was absolutely delicious. I ordered a margherita pizza and my husband a chicken sandwich. The food took way. too. long. We understand as there is just one guy cooking and another guy serving, taking care of tables etc, but the wait was so long and we were starving in anticipation of our mains. Finally it arrived and at first glance I was a tad disappointed in my pizza… the basil pesto olive oil added by the server was in puddles on the pizza… this sopped through and made the dough all soggy. I have to say it TASTED good, however was a mess to eat (you couldn’t pick up a slice as it would fall apart). The sauce was delicious…
My husband enjoyed his chicken sandwich and he, as an Italian, with a mom who is an amazing cook, stated the food was «just like ma-​ma makes».
The two guys that run the joint are really nice, friendly. Prices are very reasonable. We will definitely be back!

Came here for dinner on a Thursday night at around 7:30pm. Parking can be a problem if it were more busy. There is are very few parking spots available. The restaurant itself is small and cozy. It looked like a one man show running the whole place. He was the chef, the server and the cashier. There were a total of three tables being served including ourselves. Service was good considering the one man staff. However, you got to waive him down to get service otherwise he is just too busy doing other things.
Lasagna $ 12.95 — top layer of lasagna had what seemed like bacon which went well with it. The lasagna was simple with tomato/​meat sauce and cheese. The pasta layers were soft and slicing the lasagna was like cutting into soft butter. Overall, tasted good.
Risotto $ 15.95 — mixed in with the risotto were small chunks of meat that tasted like sausage meat. The pasta was very creamy and tasted good. I’d rather pay $ 4 more and get the scallop risotto at Novita.
Decent and simple Italian food.

We have been dining at Cucina Locale since it opened and we still enjoy every meal there. Great service, Graciano (sp) the owner always prepares our orders and he’s a perfectionist. We’ve dined in and called for take out.
Pizza, sandwiches, salads, pasta specials are all delicious. My daughter loves the lasagna. We’ve tried most of the items as the menu is not huge but enough variety and everything has been great. Espresso is good. Wine list could be expanded.
The restaurant is not big so it’s a great cozy atmosphere and we will consider booking the entire restaurant for special events.

Simple and good Italian food at reasonable price and good service. Nothing fancy but just a good meal in a comfortable environment.

come here every now and then for a pizza. It is some of the best thin crust pizza around. They also make a pretty damn good espresso too! It does get a little stuffy during busy hours specifically lunch. The fact that it is small makes the place a little more enjoyable just make sure you get there early so you can get a table. Also parking can be a pain as its literally right on highway 7.

This little restaurant has some really good thin crust pizzas and Italian sandwiches! It’s small, but cozy and the service is friendly. Other than avoiding high traffic times on Hwy 7, we definitely like to come here as their prices are quite good.

We had great service, well tended to. Food was reasonably priced and delicious. We were happy with all of our dishes. It’s a small restaurant with a cozy feel.

Where do you have to go to get a veal sangwich in this town?
I’ve often asked myself this question. I finally found the answer. Chicano Locale has rustic style Italian sandwiches and great pizzas. Perfect place to pick up a satisfying lunch when you can’t make it to your nonna’s house. I wouldn’t recommend dining in as it is small and a little chilly. But the ingredients are fresh and the food is great. Closest thing to College street sandwich bars right here in Markham.
Family run. Authentic. Delish. Trust me. I know Italian!

Having grown up on Italian steak and veal sandwiches, I was excited to hear about Cucina Locale. My girlfriend and I ordered several items off the menu, and I have to say, I was extremely surprised.
First off, don’t go by the prices on their website. At first glance $ 6.95 for a steak sandwich is a great deal, but once we went in to the restaurant and saw $ 9.95 on the sign, it was a bit of a surprise. Not to mention it costs extra for each topping.
I wouldn’t mind paying more money for great food, but the steak sandwich was just awful. Maybe I’m a bit jaded having grown up on Italian sandwiches from downtown Toronto, but these don’t even compare. For 10 bucks at Tony & Nick’s San Fransisco Sandwiches, you can get an amazing steak sandwich with all the toppings you want. The meat here was thick and stringy with absolutely no flavor. It reminded me of the meat you find in those Swanson dinner trays.
The pizza was a pretty big letdown as well. For $ 4.99 I could get a better tasting pie at Pizza Pizza. The sauce was alright but the cheese tasted the Mozzarella balls you buy for 3 bucks at No Frills.
As much as I’d love to support a local family business, I came away disappointed, and I can guarantee I won’t be back.

I love the food, but could you turn up the heat in the restaurant? I’m always freezing to death and my food gets cold super fast!

Great local Italian food. Had the steak sandwich and the veggie pizza and both tasted authentic and delicious. The steak was marinated well and full of flavor. Tomato sauce was divine.
The pizza was crispy, thin and the veggies were all fresh. I definitely would come back to try their other items!

Finally decided to try Cucina Locale. It is a nice small place with tables close together. When you are ready to order you go to the counter. I ordered the veal sandwich with added provolone cheese, mushrooms and onions. My wife had the risotto dinner special. Both of us found the food good but not wow good. We also found the price a bit high. If we do go back it will be to try the pizza since they looked good.

I came in on a busy Friday for lunch and the crowd was a mix between office workers, students, and a table of executives sipping espressos, which looked encouraging.
Originally I was going to get the veal sandwich but opted for the Margherita pizza instead. It was tasty and crust was crisp, but could have used less corn meal on the bottom.
Would come again for a quick lunch stop with friends though the service and décor isn’t good enough for a dinner.

I talked my co-​workers into coming to Cucina Locale with me, because I knew I couldn’t finish a pizza myself. Sure enough, the portion is big. The three of us, 2 women and 1 man, shared 2 pizzas, and we were full. The pizzas were nice — the dough was fresh, the sauce tasted bold, the crust was a bit too soft as if it wasn’t cooked long enough or the stove wasn’t hot enough, the toppings were on the skimpy side; I wish there was more toppings (see picture of Locale pizza).
The store is small and cozy. The interior décor is modern and pleasing. There is an open kitchen which I like. The pizza at Cucina is slightly on the pricey side. Nonna’s on Hwy 48 is almost $ 2 cheaper per pizza. This location is more convenient to me, though.
Overall, 3.5 stars.

I have urges for Home made Meat Balls Sandwich ($ 6.25) and I am excited that Cucina Locale, a new Italian sandwiches and pizza place opens in my neighborhood.
Menu is simple, great for a quick bite anytime of the day.
Messy with tomato sauce dripping everywhere… in a good delicious way. Meatballs were nice and moist inside a warm toasted bun. The tomato sauce has this nice aroma without being over salted which I hated.
Toppings aside from hot pepper which is free, cost $ 1 or so extra.
Fresh ingredients and friendly service. I will be back!