Very hard to find an Italian restaurant in south Jersey that compares to one in North Jersey or NYC. We happened to drive by Brooklyn Bistro at night and it looked very pretty from outside. I went on Yelp and reviews were positive so we figured we would give it a try this past Sunday evening. There were five of us: myself, husband, daughter and two of her friends. I wish I got the waiter's name because he was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. All of the staff was also nice. We shared the vegetarian napoleon, fried calamari and grilled octopus for appetizers. All were prepared to perfection and perfect amount for five of us to share. Fried calamari was interesting as it had cherry peppers accompanied and drizzled with balsamic glaze. More like Thai but worked well. Grilled octopus was excellent and served on a bed of greens. Vegetable napoleon was stacked with eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms with melted mozzarella on top. Very tasty. For dinner, I had the homemade gnocchi with bolognese sauce. It was as light as a feather, perfection! My daughter had the homemade cavatelli with meat sauce, also excellent. Her friends had the mushroom risotto also excellent and the other had a mixed seafood which looked delicious. My husband had the sunday gravy over spaghetti which consisted of homemade sausage, bracciole and meatballs. It was also awesome. Portions are pretty large and you could definitely share if you're not really hungry. For dessert I got a piece of the homemade cheesecake which was creamy and not over sweet, crust perfect. Daughter and friends shared avocado cheesecake which was very different, but good, not over sweet. Husband had homemade tartufo, which looked awesome. All desserts are made homemade. We also had a pitcher of white sangria, next time I will just bring my own bottle. Can't wait to come back again with my other daughter. This place is a keeper and will be added to my rotation of restaurants in this area! read more

We went because we had a Groupon. The prices on the menu were pretty shocking - $19 for a bowl of fettuccine bolognese. It got even more shocking when it came out and it was a puny bowl. I literally finished my meal in 6 minute because of how small it was. I'm thinking that maybe they give the groupon people smaller servings (because you have to call ahead of time and say you have a groupon), which is wrong if they do because it says the value is "$30 of food" when really we are being served less. Anyway, the food itself was absolutely amazing. Our dishes had the homemade pastas - fettuccine and gnocchi and the gnocchi was some of the best I've had in the area. It's just a shame how much it costs compared to how much food you get. I also wish they had tablecloths on the tables (or even just placemats). May or may not return, probably only if we get another groupon. read more

Had my Mom's going away dinner for 4 with a Groupon on a Thursday eve. I was really looking forward to it based on reviews. Very cute venue...I even commented to the waiter what a cute place! I can honestly say it was the WORST meal I have had in years! ( and believe me...I am not picky) The appetizers were cold in the middle and the cheese wasn't even melted. My son got lasagna that he enjoyed very much..but the (3) of us that got meat dishes...OMG. My veal piccatta was literally INEDIBLE. It was chewy and tasted so weird I was afraid it was bad. My mom had the bracciole...the thickness of the pork had to have been 3/4 of an inch...undercooked...and she couldn't even cut it. Her pasta sauce tasted like tomato sauce out of a can. Last but not least...my daughter got the pork chop. Same story...so tough she couldn't cut it...dried out and chewy. The waiter never inquired how everything was...my son kept telling me to go complain. I just figured what good would that do....as I certainly didn't want any substitutions!! My mother's dinner was ruined...I admit mostly to my total dissatisfaction with the meal I had bought the GROUPON for 2 for my husband for Fathers Day, and I actually decided to lose what I had paid for it...rather than go there again. It was really THAT awful. read more

Being a born raised Brooklyn girl I'm the first to admit that I can be a serious critic when it comes to good Italian food. Brooklyn bistro was an unexpected surprise.... Who knew Toms River had a hidden gem! The food was delicious and the service was warm welcoming and homey. I had the angel hair pasta tossed in a light crabmeat sauce. Pasta was perfectly cooked and The sauce was super light and full of flavor. I tasted the branzini on a bed of garlic spinach, the fish was crispy, the garlic and salt seasoning was just the right amount! Since this a true family owned business our waitress was open, warm and a great listener. She heard me mention that it was my moms birthday and even though we passed on dessert because dinner was so amazing we ate every bite.... she brought us a slice of there home made cheese cake topped with a candle and personally sang happy birthday! Great, great great food, great people! After 35 years in search of good food in Toms River.... my search is now over. I highly recommend this hidden gem! read more

I realy dont see the value in coming here. Place is dark and depressing, food is medicore, service is so-so. Didnt know wher eto go upon entering. Left or right, or up the stairs. I will not go back since I can go to better places around the corner and throughout TOms River. read more

Would do send people there. Hanger steak was cook great and my husband swordfish was good very moist.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is nice. However, the food doesn't really match. I had the split pea soup, penne vodka and a cannoli. While the food wasn't terrible, it wasn't anything to write home about either. It was all very bland to me. read more

My in-laws took me to this restaurant and we should have dressed up. It is a really nice, small, Italian restaurant that you should some what dress up for. The food is so good and the waiters were very friendly. I just had pasta but even that was really good and the bread was really good. Very much recommend this place. We would have gotten dessert but we were too full lol. read more

Have been here before, but tonight was disappointing. My husband's steak was dry and my egglannt was raw. The place was extra crowded and we did get free desserts. Which was nice and accommodating. We spoke to the waiter and he said there was a new chef tonight and it was very busy. read more

Really enjoyed our night here! Food was great and the waiter was super nice and great with kids. I had salmon and my husband had a huge stuffed pork chop. Both were delicious! The plain personal pizza my daughter had was really good too! We will definitely be back! read more

Sat outside on a beautiful night everything we ordered was great. very personable and attentive service. You have to try this place you won't be disappointed. read more

This place was a great surprise. The atmosphere is warm, the staff friendly, and most of all the food was great. I had the homemade cavatelli with sausage, broccoli rabe, and cannellini beams - yummy! There were twelve of us and everyone was happy with their meal. If you go, get the lemon ricotta cheese cake as a dessert. It won everyone over. read more

Visited on a whim while waiting for an appointment. Portions are very very small so don't go hungry. Seasoning and taste mediocre. Very. pricey. Especially considering the portions. read more

We had my birthday dinner here tonight. There were four of us. We ordered rice balls, calamari and a spring salad to share. All were excellent. For our main course we had gnocchi bolognese, risotto with chicken, veal with prosciuitto, eggplant and mushroom marsala and a chicken dish with sausage, and hot peppers. We enjoyed everything. Service was great. We brought a birthday cake and they charged us $1 pp to plate it Very pleased and will definitely be back! read more

Went there on a recommendation. I would definetly repeat going there. The owners wife was fabulous. The food was very good. My friend had a risotto and my Italian husband tasted it and said it was one of the best he ever ate. The atmosphere was nice. Very comfortable place to eat at. It is not fancy but it was clean. When we travel back to NJ we will DEFINETLY eat there once again. read more

I just came home and wouldn't wait to review. Although it took some waiting in between serving, it was definitely worth the visit and money. I used the $80 for $45 Groupon deal to take my mom and family out for her birthday this weekend. They didn't treat us any different, and we even got a complementary and deliciously creamy New York style cheesecake for dessert for our wait. We made a reservation this morning and was surprised we got it for how busy it got. The food was delicious, we had complimentary breads and wine, and the atmosphere was great. I'm from NY, and I can truly say this was a genuine Brooklyn Bistro. Very happy that there is still room for warm and cozy restaurants in a town full of chains. In the end, we only paid an extra $2.93 exactly for an extra cheesecake to take home (it was that delicious!). Definitely worth it and will be coming back soon. read more

Amazing!I found this place on yelp,nice spot in Toms River,I ordered Risotto Del mare,my friend got penne Primavera,they were fresh and delicious!the server is friendly,the atmosphere is great! read more

I was visiting Toms River and Seaside Heights and this restaurant was recommended to me. The food is very bland, edible but by no means tasty or anything special. The prices are too high for the quality of food, the food was brought out in 3-5 minutes. I obviously knew it wasn't freshly made but instead microwaved or heated up, I should've known this was a bad sign. My boyfriend got the special of the day I believe was some kind of pasta with lobster, the pasta tasted of bitter garlic and the lobster was green on one side and all black on the back. This is absolutely disgusting and I can't believe he was served disgusting old lobster, we realized that he shouldn't eat it or he would've been sick from it. We told the waitress and she apologized and took it off our bill. Did not even offer a complementary coffee or desert to make up for it, not worth your time or money. read more

Got served green lobster with black stuff on it. I. D.o.n.t think lobster should be green and was disgusted by it. I. D.o.n.t even know how the chef let that get out of the kitchen. Girlfriend had spaghetti with meatballs and it was very bland. She's not even Italian and she can make better ones. Would not recommend this place. The prices are high for not even mediocre food. read more

We decided to try it out with a Groupon, and thank goodness I only wasted $14 on this meal and not $40!! Building was a little run down, staff seemed a bit unpleased to be at work. Food was nothing to write home about. The portions.....I have seen bigger come off the child's menu, and esp. for the price, that was unacceptable. I had Spaghetti and meat balls because I was not allowed to get the chicken ceaser salad with the Groupon. The spaghetti was barely warm and the meat balls must have been frozen at some point. Not only were they cold, they were a consistency that I can't even explain!! The hot sauce was the only thing that heated up the meal. read more

We are regulars at the Bistro. It's our favorite restaurant in Toms River. Friday night we had the clams casino and the prime rib special. It was absolutely delicious. Cooked to perfection. We always finish the meal with an espresso and one of their cheesecake masterpieces. It's a must go!!! read more

My boyfriend and I decided to try this restaurant despite the negative reviews that have been posted. We were immediately impressed with the ambiance and attentive hostess. We had a reservation so we were sat immediately and greeted by our waiter right afterward. The menu has fabulous choices. We started with Mozzerella encorroza, light and delicious. My boyfriend had the hanger steak and I had the filet mignon, both were cooked perfectly and delicious. We finished with the creme brûlée which outdid most in the area. I'm not sure why people complain about the service in their reviews. Our service was spot on throughout our time there. Our waiters name was Mike and he was excellent. We will definitely return and recommend this restaurant to friends. read more

We found a Groupon for this place and decided to try it out because it's within a couple miles of our house. The food was horrible. My fiancee ordered the prime rib, and without exaggerating I'd say 3/4 of the piece of meat was fat. The actual meat that she was able to meat had the stringy texture of a corned beef. I ordered their veal with prosciutto, mozzarella, and spinach, and the veal had absolutely no flavor to it. I order veal just about every time we go out to eat and this was by far the worst I've ever had. We hadn't spent enough at that point to use our Groupon so we did order dessert, and I will say that their cheesecakes were delicious. The waiter said they're made in house, and they were good to the point where we took one of their catering menus just in case we have an occasion to order a cheesecake. The food was not good at all, which was disappointing because we were hopefuly that we had found a new BYOB Italian restaurant close to home, but I don't think we'll be going back after this experience. Dessert was delicious, and the wait staff were very friendly but that isn't enough to overcome the bad food. I don't think we'll be going back. read more

This place is the reason chain restaurants are still in business. We've heard so much about this place. My husband and I decided to try it. What a waste of money, he ordered mushroom soup, linguine and clam sauce,I ordered lentil soup and veal parm. Both soups had no taste, mushroom soup had no mushrooms, lentils were swimming in what looked and tasted like water. Less than a cup of linguine and 10 small clams and no taste, veal was stringy and tough,sauce tasted like they opened a can. The only good thing was the salad. We did tell the server about the soup, you think they would have taken it off the bill. The server and service was good. But will never return. They should get rid of the short order cook and get a chef read more

Went for New Years Eve. Food was horrible. They had a 5 course diner for 67$. Would never go there again.

I really tried to like this restaurant. The last time I went was shortly after they had moved to their new location so I thought the 2-hour wait for dinner was just a fluke. I was wrong. Today, I literally skipped lunch in anticipation of my Easter dinner takeout order which was placed 2 days ahead of time. Still, it was 2 1/2 hours late. There seemed to be countless aggravated people waiting for hours in the parking lot for their Easter dinners as well. This is not ok and seems to be the norm. I think they bite off more than they can chew to maximize business and because of that, the food quality and service suffers greatly. When I finally did get my food home 2 1/2 hours late, everything was extremely bland, zero flavor. The only good thing was the goat cheese and craisins in the salad because they actually had flavor. Yes that's right, the highlight of my Easter Dinner from Brooklyn Bistro was some crumbled goat cheese and a few craisins. Truly bummed that they can't get it together. read more

WORTH EVERY CALORIE AND PENNY SPENT!!! The food and service were both incredible. Our server was Mike R who only enhanced the overall experience. Bread Basket and Dipping oil - Bread is fresh from the oven and absolutely perfect. Calamari Balsamico - THE ABSOLUTE BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED! I had a #1 walking in on Saturday, but that was immediately bumped to #2 and there is no #3. (My pre-teen has never had this before and she was also in heaven over this dish. My husband hardly ever even tastes it and he ate this as well! House Salad (part of what you get with the Entrees) - I love salad but kept it to only half because I knew what was coming. Mixed greens of the Italian nature, tossed with a light oil dressing. Chicken alla Bistro - husband allowed me to taste a tiny, tiny piece - wonderful dish! Chicken Roullade - it was a special that night and when Mike R was done rattling off the many, many ingredients I stopped him because I love every single one of them; served with thinly julienned vegetables and homemade mashed potatoes! Nonna's Lasagna w/Meatballs Side - this was my daughter's and she absolutely did not need the side of meatballs. There was a ton of meat in the lasagna, meat, cheese, sauce - Brooklyn Bistro is NOT stingy with their ingredients! ***Portions were so generous that we took home leftovers and the 3 of us shared them the next night for dinner.*** Tiramisu - O M G - it tasted much better and different (yet still the same) then any other version I have tried. Creme Brulee - I am not a chocolate person, so this is my favorite dessert. Prepared exquisitely; both the creme and the brulee! The brulee was so perfect and delicate, it is supposed to be to enhance the creme portion and it did! read more

Delicious food, wonderful staff. Mother and daughter are very welcoming and warm. The food reminded us of our grandmas Italian cooking. Came on a groupon- will definitely be back. read more

We had a great meal here last night. The cheese board was great, homemade gnocchi are out of this world, topped off with a great tiramisu! We will be back. Maria our waitress was great too. read more

The food and staff at Brooklyn Bistro are always top notch. The chef and owner always makes excellent dishes no matter what is ordered. Their homemade desserts are delicious. They always make you feel like family when you are there. One of my favorite restaurants in the area. read more

So classy but also a family atmosphere! The food here is unbelievably great!! It is worth the price because you will leave full and happy and completely satisfied! read more

Was so excited to try this place because we had heard good things....was terribly disappointed in how we were treated. We went on Friday night, after my husband called to find out about attire, reservations, kid friendly...we were told definitely casual, definitely needed reservation & definitely kid friendly. We arrived at 7 pm for our reservation with our 5 yr old (she's well behaved and well versed in restaurants) to walk through the arch way up to the door only to see a very small sign on the door asking to please use the other door, this would have been fine except for the hostess watched us the whole time never pointing or alerting us to go to another entrance. Once inside we went through the restaurant to the hostess stand, where I was greeted with "I guess you don't have a reservation." Even though there were only three other tables in the restaurant at this time, I informed her that yes we were told we needed a reservation and did in fact make one. As I mentioned, there were only three other tables occupied in the restaurant and yet she sat us right next to the door which everyone went in and out (it's January and cold especially for a 5 year old), I asked to move but she ignored my request. After about 10 minutes a waiter finally arrived, he was almost as condescending as the hostess. It took another five minutes to get water and when he did bring it we were short one glass which took another five minutes. Without going through every detail all I can say is that they were very condescending when ordering etc., for example asking for more bread seemed to be like committing a crime. The food was good not the best Italian I've ever had but definitely not bad, but the experience was definitely ruined by the way we were treated. read more

Resembles a two/three star restaurant in NYC, today was my first time here, I had the grilled veggie focaccia, and PB&J Cheesecake, only mistake I made was not bringing a bottle of wine! Ahhhh! And I have over 90 bottles at home...Next time! read more

I was told to try this place. Outstanding. Great service food delicious. Nice atmosphere. I would highly recommend giving Brooklyn Bistro a try read more

I have written a review on how wonderful the food, atmosphere and the service is every time my husband and I have dinner. I just wanted to say, if anyone is planning a party.... Keep Brooklyn Bistro in mind. We had my sons wedding rehearsal here and it was absolutely beautiful. The food..... I can't compliment enough! Everyone enjoyed the food so much. Many friends and relatives said they have to start coming to this restaurant. Vinnie, Sandy and Maria thank you for a beautiful memory filled evening. You all out did yourselves. We are never disappointed. We will be coming in with friends for New Years Eve. So excited. We're already thinking about what we want to order. (Everything !!!!) read more

Ordered apps- only 2 of 3 apps came out, sitting not eating while waiting for 3rd guests app to arrIve- 15 min later we ask were is app- Server- "I forgot". OK Main course arrives employee spills sauce from wife's order on her legs. OK, son orders chicken parm. he takes one bite chewy like rubber- never eats it. My meal arrives- very small qty for pasta, I ask for pepper and cheese- app. 10 min later I ask again never got it the first time. Seriously I can't understand how this place has good reviews. You would think when the high bill [$147 for a BYOB] arrived a small comp would had been noted- no so. We eat out 2 x's a week on average, I cant see how this PLACE STAYS AFLOAT? read more

I had the filet mignon and it was the best that I have ever had. We started with the Fried calamari and I have to say it was light, crispy and delicious. The wait staff was friendly and attentive - we didnt have to keep looking for them if we needed something. I HIGHLY recommend you try the Bistro out for your next dining experience. Thank you Brooklyn Bistro for an awesome night out. read more

Have been here several times and it was not consistent . Took a chance and went for restaurant week . The "beet" carpaccio was only 4 thin slices on a plate with arugula . You had to scrape the beet off the plate because it was so thin it stuck . Then the chicken entree...chicken was so thick it was undercooked . read more

Nice atmosphere. Great service. Authentic food as very good. Portions little small. Nice they serve. Small salad with dinner. Great cheesecake read more

Great experience from start to finish! Service was excellent and the food was phenomenal. The calamari appetizer may be the best I've ever had- drizzled with balsamic instead of marinara. The gnocchi Vincenzo and Osso Bucci were superb and save room for dessert- homemade cheesecakes are insane as is the house made tiramisu. And my wife the cannoli snob gave 2 big thumbs up to the cannoli she had. read more