Commonwealth Cantina - Calumet-Norvelt

I came here all the time for brunch and happy hour. This will be my last. They reduced the brunch menu and the quality of food has gotten bad. I will not be returning. There’s a lot of places near by I suggest trying those instead.

I found this place to be outstanding. We made a family trip there after a sports practice for our child. The staff was friendly, warm, and looked like they took a lot of pride in this restaurant. Special attention was paid to our child and their food came out quickly.We ordered the bottomless brunch, food-only, to share and try out different things on the menu. We were not disappointed by anything.In general, the food came out fast and hot, and you could see the chef staff's attention to detail. The chicken and waffle was good. The french toast was excellent! The birria hash was good. The empanadas had a good bit of cheese, which tasted a little smoky and I was not expecting--if you are a big cheese fan, the dish will be excellent to you. The birria rancheros and chilaquiles felt like they may have needed salt or some sauce, but we discovered the sauce was more so layered on the bottom, instead of the top. That's literally the only thing we would probably change. The western omelet was very good, and had a taste that reminded us of pizza at times. The shrimp and grits were very good too, and I particularly enjoyed the coarse yellow grits they used.I am sure this place will eventually be very crowded, but it is a hidden gem right now that you should check out! Highly recommended.

The wings were very tasty. Happy hour prices are very affordable. So are the regularly priced menu items. It can be a bit noisy when sitting outside but you’re also on Georgia Ave so it’s not surprising. The staff member King was very pleasant and helpful and attentive. I didn’t feel that from the rest of the staff. I kinda felt like a burden to the rest of the staff. Otherwise, the place was great. Oh! And clean bathroom!!! ??

Very slow. Badly understaffed. The ceviche is excellent. Some tacos are good. Some are pretty bland. Disappointed in the shrimp. Not much flavor, but plenty of shrimp. Rice and beans had no discernible seasoning. Waited 10 minutes to see the waiter the first time. Waited another 30 minutes to get drinks. Another 30 minutes to get food. Second order of drinks never arrived. Waiter literally passed out on the floor from dehydration and exhaustion. Staff seemed indifferent. Customers tended to the waiter for 10 minutes before staff a showed up. New management might be a good idea.

An overall great experience with great food. It seems like a place that would be lots of fun to go to with a group for dinner. There is a platform with a keyboard so perhaps there are performers. Otherwise, the service was fantastic as my server was friendly and helpful. Food also came out promptly but my smoky margarita took a while (but it was quite good). Unfortunately, they were out of their house-made spicy marg mix which I was looking forward to for Happy Hour. Regardless, the mushroom taco was an easy 4.5/5 while the cauliflower taco was a 4/5. The chili was great it was a solid 4.7/5. Definitely worth the visit and bring a group for Happy Hour/dinner for the best experience (I’d assume).