04/05/2025 We've been here a few times and always enjoyed the food. It was a little busy when we got here, but the service came pretty quickly to open the wine. The Jekyll & Hyde calamari is always a hit, as were the mussels marinara. The 2 orders of scallops that my daughter and wife ordered were a bit small in size, when compared with all the other dishes... and a bit overpriced, in my opinion. My wife had the Seafood Marechiara which she enjoyed. I opted for the Chicken scampi over a mushroom/brown risotto. The risotto was very good, but the chicken breast was too well done... not tender at all. What saved the dish was that the risotto was 'saucy' enough to help moisten up the chicken. It is a BYO, so that is a plus. read more

Okay, so here's the good news! The only good news. The food is very good. Period. And here's the rest of the story. A shout out to a "new" friend sitting at the table next to mine. I promised I'd write my review tonight when I got home and here it is. We're gonna give Chef Anton a time out for twelve months and we'll probably try it out again in the hopes that some things can get pulled together. The word "hospitality" simply isn't a part of their lexicon. The hostess insists that "Chef" requires all parties to be present in order to be seated. So regardless of whether you're three people or seven, you're gonna be standing in the vestibule. Any thought of sipping a little wine at your "reserved" table while waiting for your friends to arrive......it ain't gonna happen. Tonight was a service disaster. The place was busy. Without hyperbole, we waited fifteen minutes before we could convince someone that we needed a corkscrew. You don't have to open it for us.......we can do it. (Note to self: it's a good idea to bring a corkscrew from home) It's a real shame. Sour pusses on server's faces. Really? Who needs that? There's so much potential there.........I hope they can figure it out. TAM read more

This place is terrible. Save your cash. Reach out to me, chef, if you want to discuss your mess of a restaurant. That was a disaster of a dinner. My daughter left crying because of the the mess you served. Your staff is a problem. The portions were small. The entrees were undercooked and tasted of raw wine and straight lemon juice. Servers were rude... Not just rude- totally offensive and condescending. We waited so long for food that we asked for another bread basket and were told we'd be charged for it. Top to bottom, an unpleasant dining experience. read more

Amazing restaurant. It's a small restaurant and the owner is the chef. His cooking is to die for.! Everything is freshly made. The flavors are outstanding. The decor is very pretty and even somewhat romantic. When making reservation they do charge you a fee so that you do not fail to.come. BYOB. It's a lovely restaurant! Come check it out! read more

The food was delicious. The menu was terrific. The service was spot on & the ambiance was perfect! We live about 45 mins away & it was worth the drive & we'll def be back! read more

Outstanding service and fair - to good food. Surf and Turf was sort of dry and the 7 Fish Entree was swimming in sauce. The Shrimp Soup was nice and hot, good, but just slightly lacking in flavor. For that $$ coulda - shoulda been better. OK / Good at best. BYO. read more

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Food: 5 Stars Service: 1 Star Suggestion: Only use your best servers for busy nights, or hire more help.... Our appetizers and meal were dried out waiting for 30 min to be taken to our table.....Our salad never made it... Been coming here for years...expand the restaurant, need to expand the service! read more

Two big thumbs up on the pesto chicken pizza! I substituted tomatoes for caramelized onions, and it was very good! The pizza was loaded with pesto - I almost thought I was eating my front lawn! Nice texture and not crunchy like I enjoy it. read more

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Beautiful little BYOB. Made reservations for 4pm figured late lunch early dinner. We were all alone in restaurant And treated like royalty. My best friend and I were going to order the calamari until we heard the Burrata special - that's our got to and let me tell you - it's was magical. The caramelized onions and tomatoes - chefs kiss. I ordered the Pompton lakes chicken which was incredible- but star of the show was my friend's chicken risotto. Cappuccinos and decaf coffee and lemoncello dessert shared. Great food, great service great company. Definitely will be back. read more

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We made reservations for 6:30 on a Saturday. The place was full, warm and deafening loud. It took a solid hour to get apps. The calamari was overcooked and dry. The bruschetta had an odd sweet cream cheese or butter slathered on the bread. It was not good. Everything is à la cart and ver expensive. My ribeye steak arrived and it was honestly the best steak I have ever had. Blackened nicely on the outside a medium rare inside. My friends had shrimp and chicken risotto and all three said it was good. The service is slow and it is byob so plan accordingly. read more

After going to see my nephew at a performance of the play, PARADE, at the StageWorks Theatre in Pompton Lakes. I ended up at nearby Axton's by Chef Anton Testino Italian Restaurant for dinner. A great little find. Classy white linen ambiance, with a tantalizing menu, and it's a BYOB. Our friendly server, Francisca, was great, and very proficient. Following a couple of luscious appetizers, I went with the Seafood Marechiara (Pan seared shrimp and scallops served with mussels, little neck clams and calamari in a light plum tomato basil sauce over homemade linguine, garnished with fresh basil.) Not an easy decision as the filet mignon special was also calling my name. Perfectly prepared and presented, as were all the dishes. My brother had the O Sole Mio Seafood and my sister-in-law decided to go with the Shrimp and Scallops (Pan seared shrimp and scallops in Axton's homemade marinara or fra diavolo sauce, garnished with fresh basil and served over capellini.) Everyone left full and contented after some decadent desserts (I had their Pistachio & Ricotta Cake) and cappuccino. If you're in the area I would recommend you stopping in. 10/6/2024 read more

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Party of 4 and my food never arrived! Waitress claimed my chicken risotto was taken by other waitress and another one would be made. That never happened! She then says I will not be charged! LOL I sure hope not! I was so humiliated. Not once did she ask me if I wanted anything else! As I was leaving she handed me a $32 GF! I won't be back! read more

Absolutely exceptional service. Nice family owned business with great service. The food was delicious and everything came out quick. It is BYO so you can enjoy your own wine from home to complement the diverse menu's. Please order the mussels verde!!! read more

Axton's By Chef Anton Testino - Short rib ravioli, The David Chicken. - Italian Near Me - Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

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We came here on a week night and had a very good experience. All the food was so fresh and delicious! We all enjoyed our meals. It was a bit pricey but nowadays it's the same wherever you go. It's a BYOB so at least you save on drinks. The service was good. Our waitress was the chef's mom and she was very sweet. Our entree's did take a while to come out. I definitely will come back! read more

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Chef Anton is a talent that shouldn't be missed. Great food in an intimate setting with attentive service. The meatballs are light and fluffy, the penne al vodka is to die for, and the David Chicken will have you coming back for more. If you are in the Pompton Lakes area, pack a bottle of wine and treat yourself to a memorable meal. read more

Best food! Can never go wrong with a meal from axtons. Chef knows what he is doing! Nice ambience inside the restaurant as well, and they are expanding the space. read more

I haven't been here in a few years and was a little disappointed. I got the Muscles Verde and I don't think they were all Blue point. Also I remember the portion being bigger. I ordered the scallops oreganata and not worth $40. I could barely eat them because of how salty the entire entree was. Friend had the Jekyll & Hyde calamari which was good and the salmon was a well. read more

We were there last Friday food was outstanding as well as our waitress Francesca! Thanks for an enjoyable evening ... we will be back

We had my son's communion party for 25 people at Axton's recently. I wish I could give the review 10 stars. Anton, the owner and chef made the day such a wonderful experience for everyone. The staff was very friendly, the dacor was perfect, and the menu was outrageous. We had the restaurant all to ourselves and was a perfect size for our group to have space to mingle but also sit down and have a nice meal. Anton called me several times prior to the event to arrange the menu and the seating, decorations, etc. Nothing was left a chance and he was thoughtful in every respect. The price was very very good especially considering the delicious food and attention that we had. I highly recommend private parties and and also going there for dinner with friends as we always have a great time. read more

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On par with most food quality in the area. Nothing great, nothing terrible. We ordered the calamari and spiedini for appetizers. Both were very mediocre. For mains we had the linguini with clam sauce and Chicken David. The latter was better but the chicken was too thick (a big pet peeve with cutlets). Linguini was good but dare I say, there were too many free clams in the dish (not in shells). Made it hard to get to the pasta so I ended up taking a lot out. Flavor profile was good. Ambiance of the place was decent, very generic and nothing too over the top. Quiet on a Saturday night but we liked that it was BYOB. Won't rush back but didn't have a bad experience--just not worthy of an immediate second visit. read more

The food was outstanding and service was excellent. Small local restaurant and is BYOB.

Go here for good fried calamari with some delicious dipping sauce. Went here for a bday with a large group and they made us order a prefix menu which was disappointing bc for $90 it didn't seem like a lot of food and considering it was BYOB there were no expensive cocktails to drive up the tab. There were a couple bites of salad and we passed around calamari, spinach parpadelle and gnocchi which were all good. For the main they had a chicken, filet, salmon or risotto option. They were able to accommodate a nut allergy and remade a calamari bc the dipping sauce had nuts and for a gluten allergy they provided gluten free pasta which were nice accommodations. I had the filet which was a little well done and came room temp and I wound have liked it hot. It was thin sliced and It was in a caper maderiera sauce which tasted mostly of capers but I think the portion seemed tiny (almost like it was a half of a filet sliced thin and split between two dinners instead of a full filet portion) and it came with no potatoes which sucks when you are a meat and potatoes kind of gal. The waitress seemed annoyed having to wait on us in several instances but perhaps it was our fault for being annoying asking her to repeat the options because we couldn't hear her at the opposite end of the restaurant. Overall, I enjoyed the calamari and would return for that if in the area and try other items off the menu that look and sound really good. I am still hungry. read more

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We hosted a private event with a pre fixed meal and the food quality stood alone. A must go for high quality and amazing food. The calamari jeckle and Hyde is the best I've had. The pasta and bread are freshly made in house. Next level Michelin level stuff without the NYC price tag. Service was incredible and accommodating for our party and dietary restrictions. Can't say enough about this place including how nice and quaint the inside is with a clear window with a peak into the window. A perfect evening out. read more

Axton's By Chef Anton Testino - Axton's Pork - Italian Near Me - Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

This is definitely the best restaurant I've eaten at in the area. The restaurant has an open kitchen concept so you can see the chef at work. Loved it and the service was amazing. We will definitely be returning. Calamari was also delicious but we ate it before I could even get a picture :) 10/10 read more

Axton's By Chef Anton Testino - Chocolate Lava Cake - Italian Near Me - Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

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Here's the deal: very cozy BYOB in a unassuming strip of stores. The tables have a view into a open view kitchen (glass wall help cut unnecessary sounds). The menu has a wonderful combo of pasta, chicken & meats. Also specials available that are usually in the $30-45 range. Service was great and friendly ! Make reservations! read more

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Great BYO. Charming service and excellent food. Never rushed. Certainly a "go to " restaurant.

Have not been there in years should I go back? We used to go there when it first opened. I do remember people waiting outside to get in portions were very large, but like I said, I haven't been there in years. read more

Cute little BYOB. Expansive menu. Bread is warm and good. Service was fine. I thought prices were reasonable with the exception of the specials. $79 for a porter house that didn't have anything special to it in a very unassuming restaurant seems unreasonable. The menu is creative for Italian though and food tasted fresh read more

Axton's By Chef Anton Testino - Italian Near Me - Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

We love going to Axton's. It's a small intimate restaurant with a wonderful staff and delicious food. We usually get the yummy pork double pork chop or one of the amazing seafood dishes. BYOB. Can't wait to go back. Make a reservation. read more

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I was disappointed, the reviews are great, the food looks great. I was expecting a truly foodie excited food taste It was not there. It was the price of really exceptional food. I like some veggies with my meal. I ordered a side veggi and it tasted like straw. Maybe I just ordered the wrong foods. But I was not impressed and will not be back I had shrimp and scallops. My husband also had seafood read more

Very quaint restaurant, delicious meals and good service. The menu is right sized and it shows in how well the food is prepared. Quality, not quantity. Nice job Axton Staff. read more

Second time visiting this establishment last night, party of 4(2 adult couples). Sat prior to reservation time of 6 while we waited for the other couple to arrive. They showed a few minutes after we sat but waitress made it clear the first seating is tough because there is a time limit due to size of restaurant. We are fine with this because we don't sit all night anyway. The one issue I have is that it felt rushed the entire night. The place filled up quickly and the noise level elevated but not too much where we couldn't enjoy our meal The food here is excellent, high-quality, decent portion, size and fresh. It is a BYO so plan accordingly. The value for what you get, I think is fair just be sure that you understand if you take the first seating of the evening you are being watched. Will definitely return. read more

So we were super excited to try this restaurant as we'd heard good things! The ambiance was great! very cute and it filled up as soon as we got there. We were mostly disappointed when it took about 15 minutes for a server to take our orders...followed by a longggg wait for our food. We finally heard after being at the restaurant for over an hour that they had "lost" our ticket. At that point the food was put in again, however we don't know that the ticket was lost since our ticket was still then placed at the back of the line. Finally at the 1:20 mark we got an appetizer and then our food about 30 minutes after that. All in all the food was good (and we'd probably think even better had the entire wait not be such an ordeal). We also needed to ask for the appetizer to be comped due to the entire ordeal (which took a long while further)...to learn that they would instead give us a gift card...appreciate the thought but not sure if we'd go back again. read more

I can't wait to go back to this restaurant. It was one of the most surprising and amazing meals I had in ages. Their double pork chops are superb. It's a chef owned restaurants d mama was our waitress. We went with another couple who couldn't stop raving about their dishes. If it's not on the menu, ask the chef if he could please make it. read more

A gem in the state! Axton's is the perfect place for exquisite cuisine. BYOB makes this even more special. The specials by Anton, the chef, are always incredible. Risotto is a favorite, but the pork chop special tonight, with a fig glaze, was an amazing treat for the palate. Do not miss this place! read more

Went for the 1st time on NYE!!! Got lucky with a late reservation. Was on the fence because reviews were all over the map on here and Google. Mostly weird things. So glad we came here. The food was fantastic. The greater thing was for NYE they had no set menu, thanks. They gave us fresh hot bread and balsamic dip. The Jekyll & Hyde Calamari was to die for. Perfectly cooked and coating was great. His (as seen on Chopped) Balsamic sauce was Amazing. We had the Apple Mango Salad and the Stracciatella soup that was the best I've tasted. The Entrees were great and the portions were good. The only let down for me was the dessert which I opted for Lava cake, but no lava. I'm not a dessert person so I will give a pass because for a holiday the meal was awesome and pretty seamless. The expresso was good too. We definitely will return. Again the apps and entrees were Top notch. read more

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I have no complaint about the food; it's everything else I had issue with. At $50 to $100 on average without liquor, one would expect to have the service and ambience one would get at a fine dining establishment in New York City. I was a guest at a party of four early one Saturday evening. Even though reservations were made weeks ahead and the place was basically empty, our table comprised two tables pushed together at the back of the room. My place setting rested on the crack. If I moved to the empty seat to my left, I wouldn't have been able to hear my friends talk. And I had a perfect view of the restroom and the server alcove, which was in constant use. Had I not been a guest of a friend, I would have insisted on moving to another table. Although the menu for dining in is abbreviated compared to take-out, we had difficulty choosing our meals because the offerings are all so tempting. The second time our server came to the table she stood there waiting for us to decide. I felt pressured. The bus boy removed plates from the table despite two of us were still eating. At one point my friend had to ask for her plate back because she wasn't finished using it. We received a stingy portion of hard butter. The first person to use the butter couldn't cut it while it was in the tiny metal bowl, so she ended up with half the butter. We were given more butter and bread when asked, but the butter serving was just as hard and the portion just as skimpy. In summary, the servers and ambience need to reflect the quality of Axton's delicious food. As it stands, the service is what one would receive when dining at a combination Italian restaurant and pizzeria. I suggest better server training and obscuring the bathroom. I don't think anything can be done about the server alcove. read more

Went for my birthday dinner with my family Took over one and half hours to get food And mine came after everyone else has eaten already!!! Would never want to go back Very very expensive too read more

Excellent restaurant! The food was very fresh, and so delicious! Highly recommend! Classy but cozy!

Excellent food and our server Francesca was terrific! The seafood was so fresh and prepared perfectly! Portions were also the perfect size! Anything you order is delicious including appetizers and dessert. Can't believe we've never been here before but we will definitely go back often!! Cindy D. read more