This was the best meal I've had outside of a fine restaurant NYC. It's a pleasant place to eat, the staff were all friendly. The food was very very good. The Jeckyl And Hide calamari were cooked perfectly. Certainly did not taste like frozen crap they chucked in the fryer. And the sauce on it was wonderful. Not just hot sauce mixed with butter or in tomato sauce. I think it was tamarind based, and maybe coffee in it. Every bite was some new flavor to discover. The spiedini was deilicate and flavorful. For dinner I had fillet mignon over risotto and it was delectable. My wife got a seafood pasta meal and she enjoyed that very much. I told my wife that if she sees me looking off dreamily into distance, I'm not thinking about some old girlfriend, I'm remembering this wonderful meal. read more

WOW! This is not to be missed. Fantastic from appetizer to main course. Service (Jillian) was top notch and very attentive. BYOB. Huge portions and very well prepared. Just south of thatchers. read more

One of our absolute favorite restaurants in the area! A wonderful go to for quality food and great service. Love so many of the appetizers and all of fish and meat are always fresh. Homemade pastas are great too! A byob so you're able to enjoy a nice bottle of wine with your meal. A must try! read more

First time there. Food was delicious had the Scallops over risotto very good, a little pricey but good. Had the Jekyll and Hyde Calamari for my appetizer. Was good but very spicy and I like spicy foods. My suggestion is to get the sauce on the side and not drizzled . This way you can control the heat.My only negative comment was the service could have been a little better. I would go back because of the food. Love the decor and open view of the kitchen. Very well thought out for the customers. read more

Not sure how we missed this gem of a restaurant that was right under our noses for the last several months. Our food was very good! We had the Caprese salad, Sicilian pie and chicken parmesean. All three were well presented and very tasty and the portions were so large that that doggy bags were a must!!! Service was great! Jillian was super attentive, polite and went above and beyond to make sure our first experience was a good one and it was. We will definitely be back!! read more

Came here for Mothers Day weekend - food was great. Service was a little eh, nothing to brag about. But the food was reasonably priced and was excellent. We started with the calamari - it was covered in a balsamic type dressing - it was different but was pretty tasty. Its a BYOB - the only issue I had is that if you aren't looking for this place you really wouldn't see it on the road. Kind of hidden. read more

I came to Axton's because most other places where closed on a Monday. Celebrating my 29th wedding anniversary I was not disappointed. Hot home made bread generous portions for appetizers. The dinner was to die for the rack of pork just melted. My wife had the shrimp and scallops perfectly cooked. Will have left overs and I will return bringing friends read more

See all

Nice place w/ nice staff. Food's either hit or miss, i.e. appetizers were great - hot antipasto, balsamic calamari, crab cakes - all excellent. Mains were a bit hit or miss - Shrimp risotto was great but a bit salty. Scallops Basilico was too bitter and nowhere near as flavorful as the pictures appeared. The main issue we had as a party of six, was that five of our dishes came out the same time and the sixth took over ten minutes, at which point most of us were more than halfway done. Not once did the manager or chef come out and apologize. IMO, the correct move, especially from a hometown bistro with about six employees, is to either comp the entree or take an app off the check. Nothing happened. Alyssa, the waitress, apologized but that was the extent. We still tipped her 20% as it wasn't her fault but felt well within our rights should we have decided to cut the tip in half due to lack of accountability. read more

Ok hands down best pene vodka I HAVE EVER HAD and I've had many In my life time and this is THE BEST IVE HAD! Such great flavor I can taste every element of the dish! The caramelized shallots the sauce was creamy luscious ..... lick the plate clean TASTY the pasta was perfectly cooked. Let me talk about the portions.... HUGE PORTIONS which is amazing because I can enjoy the rest later... especially knowing I'll be craving it! I've had the scampi risotto here as well and again the flavors are on point. Each bite I catch myself saying mmmm. The tender deliciously flavored chicken the aldente risotto with this velvety smooth scampi sauce. Huge portions!!!! I cannot wait to try the other dishes they have to offer! AMAZING FOOD!!!! MUST TRY! read more

My husband and I just celebrated our anniversary at Axtons and it was amazing. We had the crab cake and calamari appetizers and both were phenomenal. The tarragon sauce on the crab cakes was to die for. I had a grouper and my husband had a pork and shrimp special and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. We will definitely be returning. read more

Food was good but not good enough to make up for the LOUSY, SLOW service. At these prices, hire another server. Did I say slow? Cancelled dessert because we didn't want to wait another hour. Will not be back. And the yelling and pot banging from the kitchen is NOT impressive. Edit: 95% of dishes had "caramelized" shallots/onions etc. I don't know why that would be a standout thing. Really, 95%. read more

Terrible from start to finish. We arrived as a party of 6 for an 8pm reservation. We were told that a table "was getting up" and we would be seated shortly. 30 minutes later...crickets. We asked the hostess, who was less than thrilled to be answering our question and she just responded "you'll be seated when they get up. It's out of my control". She was very nasty (overwhelmed it seemed, but still, no excuse). The LEAST they could have done was offer us some appetizers as we waited or some wine glasses so we could drink our wine. We were left outside with no where to sit, nothing to eat or drink for AN HOUR. It was inexcusable and we debated leaving, but nonetheless we gave it a chance and sat down. NOT EVEN SO MUCH AS AN IM SORRY from the hostess or owner (we were truly expecting the chef to come out , introduce himself, offer some appetizers on the house as an apology....NOTHING). The entire thing seemed uncomfortable and strange. If it wasn't for the terrible service, the food would have gotten 3 stars. The bread was DELICIOUS. The calamari (Famous???) was AWFUL. Tasted stale and rubbery. The salmon was great but the pasta/sauce was way too acidic and overbearing. This was our 2nd attempt at this restaurant. We will not be back... read more

Axton's provides a really outstanding menu with a variety of seafood, pasta and meat selections. If you want an unbelievable center cut pork chop this is the place! Have it with risotto and you'll think you died and went to heaven. The food is fresh and well prepared but it takes time so be patient. Make a reservation! read more

Extremely good quality of food and service. Only lacking a bar but you can bring your own. Yes pricey but you get quality that is high.

We were a party of 4. We ordered ordered Crab Capes, 2 shrimp bisque soups and a small salad. The lumped crab over toast was a very good and nicely done with 6 pieces for $14. The shrimp bisque was very good and served nice and hot for $8/ea. For entrees we had 2 Axton's Pork and Shrimp with a very flavorful sauce for $28/ea. The pork was excellent. One order of Swordfish with polenta and again with a very flavorful sauce at @$29 and and one order of Lobster Ravioli which was also good at $18. All the serving sizes were large and we all took home doggy bags. The desserts were very good also. The staff treated us like family and we talked with them and Chef Anton himself for over 10 minutes. read more

I did not like the attention of the old waitress is very spoiled and mistreated ah the other employees will never return until they take out that old waitress read more

If I could give this place a lower rating I would. The food was mediocre at best. The appetizers were a disappointment, more like crappetizers. The steak was over cooked and risotto wasn't that great either. As a group of 4, only 3 of us got our food, while one waited 20 minutes while everyone else ate. They didn't even apologize, shame on them. As a experienced foodie, this place should not be well acknowledged and need to fix their strategy of working. read more

The good is fresh and amazing. Tomato sauce like I've never tasted before. Goat cheese ravioli was more delicious thank I cousin have imagined. read more

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

See all

My husband and I have been here a couple times and love the food! Great service and the food doesn't disappoint. We thought that this would be a great place for my husbands 30th birthday dinner with friends. I called the Saturday before to leave a reservation for 11 people at 7:30pm. I was told no problem. I decided to call the day before just to verify the reservation and I was told that they called me because they can't make a reservation for that many people at that time. Unfortunately they wrote down my number wrong and I never got the call. The reason for not being able to take the reservation is because it's too many people for that time that it's generally busy and they can't guarantee tables to be together. I was disappointed because we had people coming into town for dinner and now I'm left with no reservation. I thought that was the point of making reservations. So that you get a table at the time for a certain amount of people. This won't stop us from going again just the two of us. But we now know that you can't make large reservations past a certain time. read more

What a disaster! Chef Testino was an a-hole. I could easily go into a long rant detailing the ridiculously negative experience we had here tonight, but it boils down to this - get your front of house in order!!! I can't comment on the food, bc after 90 min all we had were bread, salads, a sad clams casino app and a mediocre caprese app. Chef Anton, learn how to speak to people and run a business. So rude and unprofessional. This small restaurant was not packed, so short staffed is not an excuse. And any successful business person will advise - don't make excuses, fix the problem and don't behave like a jerk. read more

Great atmosphere and service. Food is always great too. Their seafood specials are always a go to.

Terribly disappointing. Must be inadequate ventilation system because the "open design" creates a smoke filled restaurant and burning eyes. The food was so bland and soggy, service slow and rather rude. I cannot understand how Chef Testino is a successful celebrity chef. And since his mother works as a server, any complaints are met with defensiveness. Please don't waste your time and money. read more

Food is great. Very tasty. However, it's overpriced. I got a filet mignon special for about $45. For a $45 meal, the place should have a lot nicer decor and more comfortable seating. read more

So, this place opened up across the street from me and I wanted to give it a try. Walked over and went in . Asked if I had a reservation, said NO, and was told they were not taking any walk ins. Never heard that before, so I was thinking WTF. But it smelled so good . They told us to come back in an Hour and they would have a table for us. So, went to get some wine since its a BYOB Went back at 8 and was seated right away. We had a wonderful server, her name is Francesca. Very warm and welcoming. Ordered some Jekyl and Hyde Calamari for appitizer then some shrimp rissotto and a Rigatoni al sasi. Place is small , maybe 11 tables, Open kitchen which is always interesting to see. So anyway, the calamari came out and i gotta tell you, IT WAS FANTASTIC. I couldn't stop eating it. My main course the shrimp rissotto had me mezmerized. I LOVED IT. I was in heaven. Everything was spectacular, service was great. Remember, I was there on a wed night, cant say what it would be like on a weekend if you could get in. Portion size and value was excellent. Highly recommend this place. Not your typical eatery. read more

What a great new restaurant! We love BYO places to begin with, but add the delicious food and wonderful service, and Axton's is sure to be a BIG hit. I made reservations a week ago and due to a large party there at 7:00, our reservation for 6 people was at 8:00. We were seated by 8:15 and immediately water and yummy crusty bread with dipping oil was brought to the table. There's a small silver bucket on each table for everyone to deposit their cell phones. If no one touches them throughout the evening, the restaurant donates $1 to charity. Even those of us most addicted to our electronics left them alone for the night, and all commented how great it was to not be distracted. Although it was a busy night there, our server Katie never rushed us. We each ordered an entrée that came with a house salad. Mixed greens, chopped tomatoes and green olives perfectly dressed with one of three dressing choices. My husband and I were the only ones who ordered the same entrée - grouper. Perfectly cooked, served on top of delicious risotto with artichokes and broccoli. One friend ordered a scallop dish that was presented so beautifully I wanted a photo of it. I'm definitely ordering that next time. Everyone raved about their meals. We ordered cappuccinos and espressos and two desserts to share. I didn't try the chocolate mousse cake or the cannoli crepes, but everyone said they were fantastic. We met Chef Anton and his awesome mom, Fran on our way out. The excellent customer service we received is obviously a reflection of them. Our friends live close to the restaurant, we're only 45 minutes away and can't wait to go back! read more

My fiancé and I went Axton's a few weeks ago for our 6 year anniversary. We were both equally excited to try a new restaurant. Anton Testino, the chef, worked with the famous Gordan Ramsay, handled his own in Hell's Kitchen and Chopped, so I was jumping for joy to be able to enjoy the food prepared by someone with such talent. We arrived at the restaurant early and were promptly seated. The ambiance inside is beautiful with faint lighting, neutral colors, and an atmosphere that could appeal to romantic and casual diners alike. The open kitchen was also a nice touch. The service was great. The bus boy was fantastic and attentive, and the dining room attendant was very friendly, caring and attentive as well. We were served bread with olive oil and balsamic while we reviewed the menu. The bread was nice and airy, however it wasn't warmed which took away from what could have been something great. Being eager to try our favorite dishes from the menu, we quickly ordered our appetizers and meals. We started with the Spiedini, which is in all of its glory, a fried Italian and mozzarella cheese sandwich covered in a lemon caper, sherry wine and anchovy sauce. The Spiedini was a bit too oily for our liking and the inside was warm but not hot. Unfortunately this appetizer was more like an oily slab of bread with cheese inside rather than a delicious crusted Italian bread pan seared and baked to perfection. The saving grace of this appetizer was the sauce. The sauce was absolutely fantastic and I was hard pressed not to spoon it off of the plate by itself. We ordered our entrees which came with a salad, but I opted for the Stracciatella soup instead. I ordered the Shrimp Risotto and my fiancé ordered the Skirt Steak Bistecca. The Stracciatella was phenomenal! The eggs inside the soup were poached to perfection with a velvety and creamy center similar to the texture of custard. The broth was warm and had an amazing bitterness to it that was balanced by the slight saltiness in the broth. I kept eating bits of the spinach and tasting the broth with the bread and mixing bites until the entire bowl was empty, and I was so sad to see it gone. The Skirt Steak Bistecca was served with sautéed onions, garlic and capers and sauce. Accompanying it was a Portobello mushroom, roasted cherry tomato risotto in a lemon sherry wine sauce. The steak was ordered medium-rare, but came out medium-well to well-done. It was a shame because my fiancé ordered it knowing how tasty a skirt steak is when cooked perfectly but this wound up being chewy and dry. When we received the bill we recognized that it was at the fault of the server, who put the order in as medium. The Shrimp Risotto was prepared with caramelized shallots, shitake mushrooms, diced shrimp, smoked bacon, and roasted cherry tomatoes in a Marsala wine sauce. The dish was topped with grilled asparagus, MORE bacon and seared shrimp. Now before I continue, I would like to say that I love salt, and it is extremely rare that I deem something as too salty. This dish was too salty for this lover of salt and luckily I politely declined the server asking me if I wanted parmesan cheese prior to actually tasting the dish. To my surprise the only flavors of the dish were salt, bacon, bacon and more bacon. The bacon flavor overpowered everything else and I was hard pressed to find any tomatoes in my risotto. I took two or three bites from the risotto and couldn't bear to eat it any longer. I wound up rummaging through the bowl and found literally a palm full of fairly large bacon slices, and some that may have just been torn up through the cooking process, and I'd have to say there was about 1/3 bacon to everything else in the risotto. I was so disappointed in this dish. I was surprised that the server didn't care to ask why I didn't touch my risotto or want it wrapped, especially since the bites I took were so tiny. We finished with a vanilla gelato which was delicious. The texture of the gelato was a bit off, reminiscent of the frozen edges of ice cream in the fridge that has been in there for too long, but the perfect amount of sweet so overall we were satisfied with the outcome. The total bill only wound up being $75.97 without tip so the prices were very reasonable for the portions. However, there seems to be too much done at times and the additions to dishes or sides were extremely heavy handed without much quality control by the chef through tasting the dishes before they were served. I had high expectations going in that were not quite met. I will visit Axton's again and give them another shot. read more

Based on their website pictures, one would expect that you found a GEM in Pompton Lakes, featuring white table clothes and romantic setting, but as soon as you enter, you realize it's nothing more than sit down pizzeria atmosphere. You are immediately greeted by the unfriendly /unprofessional hostess staff, who needs much training in restaurant services and personal attire. We arrived promptly on time for our reservation, only to realize that our table wasn't ready and we had to wait awhile in the most awkward reception / kitchen area, where you virtually interfere with the serving of the food (very awkward and unsanitary). Finally, our table was ready, and we were led past many unoccupied tables, only to be seated at the worse table in the house, directly in front of the service area and bathrooms with a continuous cold draft from the service door. Despite the long wait, we realized our table was only half prepped, missing the same level of decor (red rose) that all other tables had and for unexplained reason we received odd size wine glasses, that nobody else had at the restaurant. Our meal was frequently interrupted by the harshly juggling of tables and chairs around us, making us feel that we were uncomfortably in their way. Despite the lack of the romantic atmosphere, we were delighted with the menu choices. We selected several appetizers and entrees, and we were quite delighted and satisfied with the presentation and flavors of all our selections. Much credit to the Chef Anton for his culinary part in our dining experience. In conclusion, Axton's by Chef Anton Testino, isn't the Gem yet..... much polishing still needs to be done before it can shine brightly in Pompton Lakes neighborhood. read more

Second time going to Axton's and was very disappointed. First time was ok, not so much this time. I had the speidlini and the toast tasted like the oil it was fried in. I also had the baked ziti, the sauce was chalky, tasted like a vodka sauce and the pasta was over cooked. My husband had a seafood dish with scallops, calamari, mussels etc. he did not eat 5 of the mussels, they were completely shut, unopened, rule os thumb never eat an unopened mussel. The scallops were slightly burned on the edges. My son had the linguini and pesto and he liked it. When we were finished the waitress never asked how it was or if we wanted coffee or dessert, so we paid and left. I wish it had been a better birthday dinner! :( read more

In December I held a rehearsal dinner at Axton's. It was absolutely wonderful! The room was perfect, the food was delicious and the help was great. I can't say enough about this place. Thank you Axton's for making the occasion a memorable one. Marleine Carnogursky read more

Went here twice and tried hard to like the food. I though with the highly acclaimed owner it would be delicious but it wasn't. The staff was nice and the decor was fine but the food wasn't great. It's off the beaten path for me and for my taste I will be going else where for Italian food. read more

The worst service ever !!! My first and my last time here !! The food was ok , nothing great really Save your money :) read more

My family and I love coming here. We also make a point to have a yearly Christmas Eve reservation here because of the warm atmosphere and great staff. Make sure you get the mussels verde and any risotto dish they offer! read more

This place is fantastic! You get served delicious, warm bread and the bread is probably the best bread I've ever had. I went with two other people and everyone enjoyed their meals. I got the shrimp risotto, which was OUT OF THIS WORLD! It was the best meal I've had in a very long time. The other people I was with had the filet mignon special and the scallops, which were both delicious! Service was good, everything came out in a timely manner and Chef Anton came over and was very hospitable and wanted to make sure everything came out to our liking. The place is also a BYOB, a huge plus! Overall, I definitely plan on returning very soon! I would absolutely recommend this place. I can't wait to try the other options on the menu. read more

Our dinner started with warm homemade Italian bread. Appetizers like Jekyl&Hyde, Long hot peppers, mussels marinara, & speidini were all incredible! Dinner was even more impressive, huge scallops over risotto, chicken pamela & parmesan as well as shrimp & scallop over lunguini fra diovalo style! The portions for apps & dinners are extremely generous. Everything was amazing! We will definitely be back very soon! read more

First, the food is very good. You have to have time for dinner here because everything is prepared for the order, so if you are pressed for time, you will not be a happy camper. If you are looking for a tasty dinner and have the time for dinner (my last visit I was there for well over two hours), then you will enjoy dinner. It is not by any means a cheap dinner but everything is prepared well, I have not yet been disappointed with anything I have had at Axton's. It is BYOB, I have been there several times and each time have forgotten to bring wine. read more

Best food I've had in a long time. I will go back again and again! Our service was great. Katie was very pleasant and attentive. Can't say how munch I enjoyed this! read more

Had dinner here last night and it was fantastic. The bread served was thick, soft, and seemed homemade and was served with some of the best olive oil I've ever had. Clams casino appetizer was fresh and delicious, the caesar salad was authentic and the filet mignon in demi glaze with mushrooms and onions served with risotto was amazing. I'm not a sweets person and rarely have dessert out but the rest of the meal was so good I had to try the chocolate fondant cake - it was excellent. read more

This place may have just moved up to my top favorite place. Great menu. They have the normal dishes and a little twist on others. The twist is what I look for. I had the filet with risotto. Everyone else had the scallops, chicken parm and steak special. Not many times do we all look at each other and keep saying this is amazing. We knew it was going to be good when we walked in and everyone leaving was telling the waitress it was so good. Can't wait to go back and try the interesting pizzas they have. Please don't change the menu hahah and please keep making food that brings a smile to everyone's face. Axton should be very proud of his father. read more

I came here on monday night with my family. It is important to have a reservation, because it is not a very big place. Everything was delicious , especially spedini and penne ala vodka were my favourites. Our waitress,Arlyn, was really nice. read more

After reading reviews I was really excited to try this place. I'm giving it three stars because I feel it was average. They're not too friendly which was my very first impression. I ordered filet mignon medium. When I receive my meal, did not realize that the filet mignon was sliced and maybe this is why it was overcooked. The mashed potatoes beneath the filet were delicious. We ordered the deconstructed cannoli for dessert. It was tasty but there was so much on the plate it was a turnoff. read more