Clemente Bakery

This is an authentic italian deli plus! I love their sandwiches, mozzeralla is great and better still are their breads and italian pastries. It’s a must try, we have been there for lunch a few times and from the sandwich to the cannoli all was delish! There’s so much more to try so I’ll keep going back.

Love this place… my husbands frequents here for lunch with his co workers. Whenever I am around I make it a priority to stop in for a chicken cutlet sandwich as it is made to perfection.

Outstanding Italian deli! Molto buono!
The words homemade, family, and delightful come to mind when I think of Clemente Bakery. It is more than a deli because they have hot food, pastries, groceries, different types of breads including focaccia, and specialty dishes. They also do catering and special bread orders. This is a nice deli with plenty of tables to dine in and enjoy your favorite Italian treats.
This is a family-​owned business in which you can see the entire family working together. The rest of the staff has been working there for many years. I lived in the area years ago and this was my favorite stop every day. Now I must to stop there every time I visit New Jersey. Prices are very reasonable, so I laugh when I see people complaining about «high prices.» They would have a hard time ordering a sandwich in Miami, which usually starts at $ 10.95 for a regular panini. I miss Clemente’s.
The ladies at the counter are friendly and knowledgeable. In my experience, they can also be fun. It is nice to see a family so united (althought I can’t imagine working with my parents or relatives all day long). It probably isn’t easy. Nor is it easy to keep up with such a big and elaborated business, but these ladies are there everyday from very early in the morning to make sure all the delicious food is well prepared and all the merchandise is in order. Clemente’s is a big store with counters of food and a small market. It is a one-​stop place where you can get everything you need — from a hot lunch, to all the ingredients you need to make an authentic Italian home cooked meal. The ladies can give you recommendations on almost everything because they are very proud of their products. They also make amazing cappuccinos.
The bread and focaccia are delightful and very authentic to the Puglia region of Italy, specifically Bari. They offer an extensive selection of delicious oven-​baked Barese breads and foccacias. Pizzas are made from scratch. Taralli and pastries are also very good especially when they make seasonal treats like zeppoles. Pastas and other hot dishes including risotto, veal, chicken, and beef, change daily, and Fridays they usually prepare seafood. They also include one of their delicious bread rolls with almost every dish. In the deli section, they have the guys making delicious subs. One of my favorites is the Clemente special with ham, salami, pepperoni and fresh mozzarella in a crunchy hero. You can add some delicious roasted peppers and sundries tomatoes for an extra charge. Did I mention that they make fresh mozzarella daily. It is to die for.
They also do catering, which I have ordered in numerous times and it has always been well prepared and on time.
I personally love the fact that almost everyone speaks Italian. It gives it that extra «je né sais quoi» to this lovely establishment. :)
It can be hard to find this bakery because it is in an industrial area, but if you are in Bergen County and love Italian food you should do yourself a favor and put it on your GPS. It is a must try! It gets VERY busy during lunch hours so once you get to know the menu it is better to call ahead and make your order by phone to pick up later that way you avoid some waiting in line.
Buon appetito!!! Say ciao to the Clementes for me ;)

This place is great! But understand that it is a family owned place and they are Italians. So you get a little of that old world attitude, and a ton of that old world flavor, as long as its Italian.
Food: Again this is an ITALIAN bakery and deli. Order to their strengths. Prosciutto di Parma, fresh mozzarella made in-​house, Italian bread, antipasti, and other Italian meats are what they do best. Sure, they will make you a turkey sandwich or tuna salad on sliced bread, but whats the point. You can get that anywhere. The fresh antipasti items in the deli case are orgasmic. The artichokes are my fav. They have pre-​made salads with roasted red peppers and olives in there which are fantastic as well, just add some homemade chicken cutlet. The hot prepared foods are amazing too. My company had Clemente cater our employee Christmas eve lunch and other smaller events and every single thing, that was Italian, was amazing. I go there as often as i can but i do run out of different things to order.
Service: Service is good. In the deli area, you have several attendants who work individually with each customer until their whole order is complete. Most are old Italian gents who know their meets. If you pronounce things properly, they are nice to you (old world attitude). So don’t come in with your fake jersey Italian predisposition, and order «pro-​shoot», «supra-​sod» or «mutz». You will get corrected, as you should because you are a mook. Say them right, and you get a smile and generous portions. ;). I will say, that since each deli attendant has control over the pricing of the item they are preparing for you, the pricing of items tend to vary depending on who is making it and what you are adding to it. It does not bother me though because I’m thinking about how good those artichokes will be in my mouth. At the register, they mean business. zip zip zip. even when crowded, its so fast. I left work, got in my car, got there, got my sandwich, and got back to work all in less than 10min total. That puts a certian other «Good Eats» establishment to utter shame service wise. They need more parking though, and they get busy, and rightly so.
Overall this place is great. they will continue to get my business indefinitely.
P. S. — Can i have a lifetime supply of those artichokes?

Bakeries are magical places; where toasty scents of freshly crisped loaves waft in the morning breeze like a butterfly on thermals. It was once called «Central Bakery» back when I remember it; an obscure destination for bread cognoscenti and resellers alike. Many would wait on line here at 5am for the first warm semolina loaves to hit the racks — and breathe deeply while anticipating that first crunchy bite. My bread never made it home intact. I pinched and snagged a hunk of this or a piece of that and left a mangled pile of paper bags, bread and crumbs behind.
Known today as Clemente’s, this industrial sized bread baking operation located in an obscure industrial section of South Hackensack has gone upscale — sporting salumeria and pizzeria appendages, a full dining area and humongous Mortadella’s hanging from the ceiling. But the quality of the bread, focaccia and cookies remains as it once was — the star of the show — and my main reason for shopping here. I especially like their plum tomato focaccia — which is resold by many Italian supermarkets and deli’s in the region, including such places as Corrado’s and A&N. The trick is to get the focaccia fresh here — rather than several days old (which is usually the case if you buy from the resellers).
Come early for the bread, and certainly stay for the condiments. You won’t be disappointed.

Everything is fresh, I had a mozzarella and turkey sandwich on a fresh baguette along with a huge cookie for dessert.
Very authentic place, the owner which I am assuming is the gentle man who made my sandwich was very kind and gave me a piece of fresh mozzarella to try before making my sandwich and the lady at the front bakery case was very attentive also.
Next time, I am in the area this will be my breakfast, lunch and early dinner place delicious!

Bread and Italian cookies fresh baked in-​house. Highest quality meats and cheeses. Fresh pastas and sauces for purchase. What isn’t there to love about this authentic Italian Deli.
I had the Clemente Special with LTO, Mayo & Vinegar and every bite was heavenly. I can’t imagine anything else being less than amazing.
It’s tucked away in the industrial parts of Hackensack, but well worth the trip. I can’t wait to come back.

Italian deli, bakery, mini market with plenty of space to sit. At a glance the gentlemen working behind the sandwich counter are evidence enough of the authentic Italian quality the products will provide. The younger ladies aren’t very warm and fuzzy to talk to, but I appreciate how efficient they are in getting customers taken care of.
Pastries = Amazing. Sfogliatelle was crisp, flaky and delicious. Biscotti come in two sizes, and are the perfect accompaniment for coffee to have as breakfast. Sesame cookies are a bit lightly sesamed, but burst with flavor.
Sandwiches (specifically mozzarella and roasted red peppers) = blissful. I’ve had
Many homemade mozzarellas in my day, and this one topped them all. Soft, with a hint of buttery saltiness, but not too sopping wet. Pair it with roasted peppers marinated in olive oil and a hint of garlic and you know you have a good thing. Sandwiches come in small sizes ($ 5 – 7) and large ($ 1 – 2 more). I ate half a small for breakfast (with cookies) and the other half for lunch (possibly with more cookies) and was satiated. Bugger appetites would be pleased with even just the small for a meal.
The market area also offers taralli, pastas, sauces, Italian sodas (try Sanpelegrino’s chinotto– if you like Campari, you’ll love this alcohol free refreshment!), cookies and other sundries.
Simple table and chair seating occupies half of the large store creating room for the many people who stop on for breakfast or lunch. Not many outlets available, and no wifi, but they’ll let you sit for hours.

Next time you are in Hackensack, I recommend plugging the address into your GPS and winding your way through the industrial South Hackensack streets to this magical place.
This review focuses on sandwiches, specifically the quintessential Italian sandwich – Prosciutto and fresh Mozzarella. I find that this sandwich is a great barometer for the quality of the rest of the food. It also happens to be one of my favorite sandwiches.
Clemente’s is easily the best Italian deli in Eastern Bergen County. Originally, I was a big fan of Bartolomeo’s when it was in Palisades Park. When they moved to Englewood their prices went up and the quality slowly went down. Then I became a die hard Jerry’s man. Jerry’s quality has decreased over the past few years and their prices have gone up as well. Clemente’s is the real deal. Their prices are high, but worth every cent for the quality.
Their bread has the perfect crunch to fluff ratio. It’s substantial enough to hold a monster sandwhich, but also tender enough that it easily rips with a normal bite. Their homemade Mozzarella is creamy and it melts in your mouth. They know it and they pile it on. The prosciutto is top quality. Unlike some places, both the domestic and imported fly off the shelf here, so it’s never dry or tough. Add a drizzle of premium evoo and just a bit of balsamic and you have a lot of happy customers.
I also highly recommend just about anything else with mozzarella– the chicken cutlet hero with mozzarella, the Italian combo with mozzarella, the meatball parmigiano hero.

You can NOT go wrong wether you want to treat this place as a deli, bakery, pizzeria or sit down lunch stop. Alway fresh hot food like baked chicken with grilled zucchini or ribs with rice and broccoli. Plenty of peeps just come in for a slice or a hero. I just wish I was in South Hackensack more often.

I would have given this place negative five stars but they are lucky that prompt doesn’t exist. First of all, the attendants are rude as hell. The woman obviously hates her job and makes sure you know it. If you hate it there, quit damn it!
Second, math/​pricing is obviously not a strong suit of these workers or the establishment. Figure this one out…6.50 for a regular grilled chicken chicken sandwich. Fair enough. Then 1.50 for grilled red peppers. Ok no problem. Another 1.50 for fresh mozz… fine. But when you charge 1.50 for oil and balsamic vinegar… you should be SHUT DOWN! Who the hell charges for oil and vinegar, a dressing for God’s sake!
Now the 6.50 sandwich that turned into an 11.50 (w/​tax)…tasted like stale 6 day old bread with decent chicken in it.
Avoid this place at all cost! I rarely write a bad review but this place rubbed me in the worst way. Go to Cosmo’s deli on the other side of town where a grilled chicken sandwich with fresh mozz (way better), roasted red peppers, and dressing is guess what…6.50!!! Never coming back to this rip off!

Service was prompt and sorta friendly.
Fresh mozz was really good.
But the sandwiches lose some points for the hard bread

Came to this fine Italian bakery with an Italian buddy of mine. The sandwich was enormous, packed with the finest deli meat and cheese. I believe it was prosciutto with mozzarella, whatever it was it was delicious and packed with flavor. I was very surprised of the location. It’s not located in a downtown area, or a strip mall, but in an area with warehouses. In fact, Clemente’s itself is located in one of the said warehouses, and it’s one where damn good sandwiches can be found. I’ll have to return sometime to try their other food options and baked goods, it is called Clemente’s bakery after all.

This is probably my favorite sandwich place in the country coming from a pilot. It’s hard to find tucked away in an industrial area but well worth it. Fresh made mozzarella and other fresh ingredients. The bread is also made there. It’s a little tough but still good. Lots of great looking sweet treats too that I’ve managed to avoid so far…

I used to work in South Hackensack and most of my co-​workers swore this place was the place to go for sandwiches. I’ve never been a fan. The bread is always tough, just like Jerry’s in Englewood. I opt for the pizza whenever I get out numbered by my co-​workers. The pizza isn’t terrible but it is greasier than any other pizza I’ve ever had, EVER. The crust was flimsy and floppy, but the after I soaked up the cheese oil with a handful of napkins, the slice tasted decent with the sauce saving it all together.
One other thing, half the prices on the menu have a ghetto white label that they slap on to show the price increase. You would assume that the price was being updated to reflect the current price. You’d be wrong. They have a price on the menu and then they have a price on their register. If you question it, they will point to the generic print that says «Prices are subject to change, blah, blah, blah.» With the price increase and tax, the slice ends up costing you $ 2.50. Most pizzerias in Hackensack and most North NJ sell slices for less than or equal to $ 2.00 with no tax.

Very simply — it is almost what I could imagine an Italian bakery to be. I can’t say for sure but it’s my post and I’m sticking to it.
Try the cookies.

First, good luck finding this place — tucked away in an industrial part of South Hackensack.
But, alas, upon discovering this gem you’ll learn yet another reason why living in northern NJ is so incredible — foodwise — not to mention a main source of blame for my continuing battle of the bulge (I still look good, though).
Walk to the deli counter and order the Proscuitto di Parma, fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers sandwich with a bit of balsamic vinegar on the bread. Heaven on Earth!
And, please — when in Rome… try to pronounce the food as if you were Italian, or a «Joisey» Italian. I’m not Italian but living here all of my life I’ve sort of developed a certain swag that may qualify as being Italian (probably not — my wife reminds me all the time of my inferiority, that is, not being Italian). Anyway, it’s «pro-​shoot-​oh dee Parm», «moohtz-​a-​ell» and peppers. Otherwise, the nice grey-​haired paisano behind the counter has every right to kick your a** back to «pennsyl-​tucky» where you came from. Got it? Good. Only kidding — they’re very accommodating to all walks-​of-​life. As for some Unilocalers stating the woman behind the cash register is cranky — they don’t get it. You’re there because of word of mouth or Unilocal so you’re already part of their extended family so who needs the niceties? Just get on with it and make the purchase already.
For the sweet tooth, the cannolis are good (nothing beat Rispoli’s though) but here the «sweet calzones» are terrific. They call ‘em something else but my wife and I refer to them as such from Clemente’s days back in Hudson County when they were «Central Bakery» — that I’m told is what they were called in the old days. Most of the folks behind the counter know what we’re referring to so you’re OK if you call them sweet calzones too. Try them.
So many other choices here at the deli counter, bread stand and hot buffet. Great place to try an assortment of Italian delicacies over-​and-​over. Mangia! (pronounced: «Maahnnnggg» — a north Jersey bastardization of the word, if you would be so kind to forgive).

So I was feeling an Italian deli sandwich and this place popped up. Came in at 9:30am and ordered the Clemente Special with hot peppers and sharp provolone.
The guy working the sandwich counter was friendly enough. Everything was sliced fresh and the sandwich was built completely from scratch. Their house made bread is great, extra crusty, with just enough of a soft inside. Meats and cheeses complemented each other well.
Problem with this place, the women running the register are not as friendly as the sandwich guy. I wanted to try their chocolate or cheese croissant, but she said they were out. But at least they have a seating section, unlike Andrea Salumeria in JC.
I opted to try a chocolate chip cookie. They have two kinds, one in a jar, one in a case. I asked her what the difference was, and she said the ones in the jar last forever. Which made me wonder how long they’d been in that jar. Needless to say, I took the cookie in the case and it sucked. Extra crunchy, not soft, and it tasted burnt.
I’m skeptical about their baked goods, but I do like their sandwiches.

Best Italian deli around!
My dad, straight off the boat Sicilian, goes there every morning!!! One semolina loaf and a shot of espresso! Their sandwiches are awesome! Everything is fresh, from the bread to the mozzarella to the cold cuts! Lunch time gets super busy, so be prepared to wait on line, but it is well worth the wait!

WOW…
Did not expect to get such a great sandwich. Freshest mozzarella I’ve ever tasted and the bread was fantastic. Kinda makes me mad to think I have eaten sandwiches in my life where the bread sucked. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and balsamic. So good. I also saw these yummy looking peppers stuffed with bread crumbs, anchovies, and cheese so I asked him to toss a few of them into a container. GLAD I did that because they ROCK. Also asked for a small container of sun-​dried tomatoes. Very flavorful and soft — they way I like them.
I originally came to this town to try another deli that happened to be closed, so I Unilocaled this one being that it was the closest in range. So glad it led me here! =) I did have to wait on line for a while, but there really was not rush. SUPER AUTHENTIC place too.