Went there for a 50-year reunion with about 40 people. Very accommodating, most important the food was absolutely superb. Nice parking and reasonably priced. read more

Italian / American Café Al Dente was a neighborhood fixture for many years and one of my favorites when I lived in Oyster Bay. It had been some time since I moved south but recently had the occasion to revisit the old neighborhood and lo, Café Al Dente had relocated as I happily deduced while walking around town. Since the move a few things had changed: the owners being the main change and the addition of an actual bar area. There never was a stand-alone bar in the old location so this was an interesting spin. The new location seemed to be a lot brighter as well. In any case, I grabbed a spot at the bar and settled in with a glass of wine and a menu. Many of the old favorites were still there, plus a lot of new items. Ladies working the bar were funny and attentive and also gave me a list of the nightly specials. I started with fried calamari since to me, it is a litmus test for most Italian places. The portion size was right and the calamari was fried perfectly. I followed that with an order of tortellini Barese. Again, just the right size portion and perfectly cooked. Overall, a great dinner experience and I even made a few new friends while sitting there. I will be back next time I need to be in NY. Parking lots scattered around town read more

Delicious Pink Sauce and extremely kind staff and service! Very accommodating and delicious food and drinks read more

See all

Randomly stumbled across cafe al dente on a quiet, rainy night. No reservations needed. Staff was very friendly. Perfect spot for families. There is also a bar area in the front if you just want to hang and have a drink. Large portions, everything was shareable and very tasty. We had the baked clams , shrimp pasta, & fried mozzarella. read more

See all

We all went out for my wife's girlfriend's birthday. She wanted to go to Cafe Al Dente in Oyster Bay, NY. My wife and I have eaten at Cafe Al Dente before and loved it. We arrived for dinner and were met by the owner, Damian. He greeted us with a big smile and showed us to our table. Our waitress, Denise, was charming and told us she drove 40 minutes to the restaurant. Damian heard her say that and commented, "She travels that far because this a great place to work!" We all laughed. It's true. We ordered appetizers: baked clams and Buffalo chicken strips. This was the best Buffalo chicken strips I have ever had! Excellent sauce, it was a little hot and spicy! Just the way I like it. We ordered Rigatoni Bolognese wit meatball and sausage tomato sauce, Chicken Oreganata with pasta, and Flounder Francaise with Lobster ravioli. Everything was delicious. Not only were the entrees great, they were good size portions. Then we ordered desserts! Dirty snowballs (chocolate and vanilla ice cream) covered with sprinkles and chocolate sauce. Wow! That was delicious! Our birthday girl got a chocolate cake with a birthday candle. We all sang "Happy Birthday" and clapped. We truly enjoyed ourselves and the Cafe Al Dente experience! If you're in the Oyster Bay Area you should stop by to say hello to the owner, Damian and enjoy a delicious meal. This is one of our local favorite restaurants. Always great food and always great seeing the owner and the staff. read more

See all

We were coming with friends from the planting fields arboretum. It was a late lunch/early dinner. Cafe Al Dente sounded good to us, reasonable prices. The reception, waiter and ar server were all very personable and provided professional and quick service. Waiter had a great sense of humor. Drinks were great. Food was AMAZING! I had chicken caprese and the chicken was delicious and very crispy as advertised. Loved it. My hubby had Grandpa's .... with veal, lasagna, meatball and sausage. He also really enjoyed!! Our friend got the chicken francais and the chicken caprese and we're also thrilled with their dinner. I would definitely recommend this restaurant highly. read more

Spent an afternoon in Oyster Bay with some friends that live in this town. We had a lunch spot picked out but on our arrival, it would seem their hours changed due to COVID. So we just happened to pass by this Italian restaurant by chance. It was a pleasant surprise of good eats and great service. The restaurant was able to easily accommodate our outdoor dining request and for seven people no less. They were quick to assemble and setup the table for us. All of the tables they had available were mostly good for 2-5 so the round tables with umbrellas were not going to work for us. Given the time, 1pm, the sun was high and still hitting up most of their parking lot but we were not wanting to dine inside given the nice weather. Onto the food: while everything we ordered were on point and delicious, some stand outs... - sharing size 10" pizzas (we picked cheese and a meat pie). The meat pie was excellent, think fresh ground sausage, pepperoni slices and ground beef. - rigatoni a la vodka, lots of oregano and a very creamy sauce. Grab some bread! - mozzarella stack, three gorgeous pieces of fried mozzarella. The dipping sauce it was paired with was great as well. Very flavorful dish. - veal Parmesan with ziti. The texture of the veal was very tender and juicy. This dish was baked to perfection. See the rest of my photos for the other goodies we tried. All in all, a wonderful lunch. The staff here is very attentive and friendly. They refilled our carafes of water quite a few times and we had asked for plates for each course. Very prompt. They brought out fresh parm and black pepper for our salads and entrees, no fuss. Great local spot. Dine in available as well. read more

See all

Recently came back here after loving it so much & was very disappointed compared to my last visit, everything was terrible. From the drinks, to the entrees. Terrible. I'm not sure if everyday the chef/bartender is different but everything lacked & left a bad taste in my mouth. Literally. Definitely won't be back for awhile. read more

Cafe Al Dente - Baked oyster. Amazing our first visit but the second time not so much. - Italian Near Me - Oyster Bay, New York

See all

Stopped here for lunch with my brother-in-law who lives in the area and frequents the restaurant. All day menu but we overheard the waitress telling the table next to us about the lunch specials which she neglected to tell us. I tried the WARM SALAD, with Seasonal Greens, Fresh Mozzarella, Mushrooms, Artichokes, Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes, and a Balsamic Dressing, very god. My wife ordered the Chicken Pastina Soup , comes in two sizes, cup or bowl. She chose the bowl size which was huge, chicken with pasta in a broth, also very good. read more

See all

It was Great ,, really the people were so nice and sweet and kind and Friendly, the food was out of this world , definitely a do again place. read more

People are very nice but the food was disappointing . Had the fish and chicken parmigiana and they were both disappointing. read more

Had lunch here. Had not been in a while even though it is in my neighborhood. Food was very good.

Excellent food and great service! Never disappointed and a must when visiting Oyster Bay!

We came here after spending time with family at the Planting Fields, we tried to get into another restaurant but they were all booked. Wasn't sure about this place at first based on decor, but pleasantly surprised with how good the food was and how nice and professional the staff is. It was an enjoyable birthday dinner! Thank you. read more

Big Portions at very reasonable prices and outstanding service!!! Ask for Nicole's tables!!!

I'm a Vegan, never would have thought that an Italian restaurant offered vegan food . Not this place they have vegan pasta with meatball . Sausage and pasta . What a treat being vegan and having this dinner . Not only a vegan option but the taste amazing not heavy , felt not like I ate a huge meal but was a big portion size plate. I highly recommend this to all my VEGAN friends . Great food Great service Clean Cozy atmosphere read more

Cafe Al Dente - VEGAN meatball sausage pasta :) - Italian Near Me - Oyster Bay, New York

Stopped in for lunch with a friend and was not disappointed! Food was fresh and delicious. Service was quick and courteous. I was planning on lunch at another area restaurant, but they were closed. So glad we tried this restaurant and look forward to returning. read more

Cafe Al Dente Consistently churns out full speed ahead Italian mama cooking. The fresh mozzarella Stack and veal are the best on Long Island. other standout entrees are shrimp scampi, chicken balsamic and rigatoni Bolognese. Rigatoni Norcina with three kinds of pork in a San Marzano tomato pink basil sauce is an amalgam of flavors, robust yet delicate. Excellent desserts and cocktails make Cafe Al Dente my favorite restaurant on Long Island. read more

See all

Ordered family meal combo #1, plenty of good food at a great price ($34.95) Both of my kids loved the chicken parmigiana. The combo also comes with Penne Alla Vodka and a salad which were enjoyable as well. I will definitely place another order again. read more

So I'm sure like many of you take out has become a regular event. Lots of times its hit or miss the food doesn't travel well, the portion are small, the quality of the food is soso etc I just ordered the family combo meal at cafe al Dente and I was pleasantly surprised. It cost only $29.95 and we received a large tray of chicken parmigiana, a large tray of penne alla vodka ( delish) and a tremendous house salad with arugula ! This could have easily feed 6 hungry adults Of all the take out I have been ordering this was by far the best value and certainly tasty Good job and thank you for the nice dinner. You now have a regular customer read more

First try and a winner. So we tried the family dinner take out specials. Excellent chicken parm and flounder francese, very tasty penne ala vodka. House salad was very good, Cesar salad was so so as was the penne garlic and oil. Overall excellent food, will pick and choose next time. Generous portions for a good price, we'll be back soon. read more

We visited Cafe Al Dente for the first time today; we were celebrating my Nieces Communion, so we were a large party. From the warm greeting, to the great service, to the food, all of which was delicious, our experience was just wonderful. My Son is Autistic, and sometimes he's having a rough time, and he had a bit of a meltdown during dinner, only because we asked a lot from him that day, and he wanted to go home. The staff were so helpful, asking if we needed anything and looking to help us in any way. That was so wonderful of them and so greatly appreciated. It really left a lasting impression on me as they were so understanding. But that being said, the food was all so good, and it was just a really nice, feel good restaurant. I can't wait to go back. read more

One of our favorite restaurants in Oyster Bay for over twenty years. Good quality food, more than ample servings, and reasonable prices. Their original restaurant closed during the Covid crisis, but they reopened in a new location only a short distance away. There's often live entertainment in the lively (but not noisey) bar area. read more

Oysters Rockefeller were massive and delicious. Variation on a Caesar salad was delicious. Veal Florentine with Penne a la vodka, steak with fries and lobster ravioli with shrimp were all plenteous, flavorful and just as expected. Loved the dessert choice of "dirty snowballs." Enough for 3 at least! Not particularly atmospheric but a definite feeling of authenticity nonetheless. Would definitely recommend! read more

The restaurant is a classic Long Island Italian spot. The food was really good and it's relatively casual inside and prices are reasonable as well. The entrees came with a salad which was nice. Both entrees we had were flavorful and the staff were extremely friendly and very attentive. read more

Tried this restaurant for the 1st time. Great service, excellent and delicious food! Big portions and definitely worth the price you pay. Will definitely be back! read more

Six of us came here on Sunday evening ,after reading positive reviews. We were encouraged by nice drinks, fragrant garlic bread and flavorful salads that accompanied some of our entrées. The extraordinarily long wait after those opening salads should have tipped us off how the rest of the evening would unfold. Our server kept telling us our food should be "coming shortly" (wishful thinking) but alluded to "trouble in the kitchen ". Very, very slowly, our dinners began coming out of the kitchen, one plate at a time, with 10 minute gaps between each person being served . Those initial salads and bread were the only positive parts of the rest of the meal. Tasteless linguini with clams (no salt, no garlic), insipid seafood Fra Diavolo with no heat, overcooked salmon, cold shrimp on salads, gloppy eggplant . But much more disappointing than the food, was the manager's inept response to this situation. There was clearly something very wrong in the kitchen and he left his waitstaff to deal with it. We felt horrible for our server. The manager should have been up front with an explanation, an apology and an offer to adjust our bill. That did not happen. Challenges in the kitchen can happen but it's NOT on the customer to shoulder it. It is the job of the manager to manage, even in a kitchen crisis. Very poorly done. read more

We have ordered the family combo meals for pickup and delivery during COVID. Everything has been ready and delivered on time. The food is plentiful, hot, fresh and we love the sauce. Damien and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. We look forward to eating our way through the menu. read more

Always good food. We go there often and always enjoy the service. Portions are more than we can consume.

Such a wonderful experience at Cafe Al Dente I was greeted and tended to by Nicole. Very pleasant polite & professional. I ordered balsamic chicken, penne Al la vodka & ceaser salad. Everything was cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious- I definitely recommend this restaurant read more

Their food is superb, their decor is very pleasing with ample, spacious seating inside and outside. The rigatoni Bolognese was amazing - they serve it with a big dollop of sour cream which really enhances the flavor. The linguini with white clam sauce was served with a generous amount of fresh clams including additional clams on the shell - delicious! Our compliments to their fabulous chef! Our server Natalie was wonderful and very attentive, and our busser Megan was a fantastic favorite! read more

Great place to have a party! I worked with Damian to plan my party. He was very accommodating with special requests. They offered a great selection of delicious dishes. Waitresses were quick and on top of getting drinks for the guests. There weren't any surprises with the price. I knew up front how much it would cost per person for food and drinks. It was a very nice evening! Roseann read more

Glad they're back in Oyster Bay! Consistently good food, value and service. I usually get takeout and it's better food then the pizza joints for the same price, or slightly less. Not sure if they do delivery, that would be great read more

Nice outdoor dining area. Interior is nothing special. Food is ok- nothing special. Low marks for this place based on the poor service- very rude . read more

We decided to get the family meal deal to go, and it was incredible. More than enough food for everyone and so so delicious. We will definitely make this a staple dinner in our home ! read more

Haven't eaten there but have taken out the family combos several times. The chicken parm was great as well as the pasta bolognese and Caesar salad. My guests loved it. read more

Ordered a meal for 6 to 8 people with extra bread. They gave me one Italian bread and told me thats extra!! Joke! Order comes with 12 meatballs. They are 6 cut in half. Seriously? read more

We had a college graduation brunch last Sunday 5/23/21for my Grandson Nick Baratta and his girlfriend Aidan Donnelly. It was fantastic -everything from the wait staff to the fabulous food! Thank you to Damien and his staff! I highly recommend Cafe al Dente! read more

Awful service. Waters were never refilled and everything took so long. Messed up two of the orders and when the bill came charged for what they added when they were asked to exclude it. Also, all of the prices we different on the bill then they were on the menu. Would not come back, and would not recommend. read more

Meh. Somehow, landlord trouble forced this restaurant to move from its original location, where it was clean, reasonably priced, extremely accommodating and quite tasty. Since it has moved to a new spot, still in the village of Oyster Bay, none of these attributes still apply, at least not in the ways they once did. One of the first things to be noticed is its lack of cleanliness, which is a turn-off, to say the least. But my mind was made up as soon as I opened the menu to see pasta dishes that soar in price to the point at which some are $28 and more. I don't care where you go, pasta leaning heavily on the $30 mark is a clear sign of opportunism. An entire pound of packaged, dry pasta costs a consumer a little more than a buck. You can bet that the same pound of dry pasta costs a restaurant half that. You'd almost have to top that 50 cent pound of pasta with beluga caviar and Kobe beef to justify the price that Cafe al Dente charges. The non-pasta dishes aren't much overpriced, but rest assured that they are somewhat too high, especially for the lack of ambiance and the unclean presentation. The rigatoni Bolognese was just okay, and a veal parmigiana hero and a shrimp parmigiana hero were both fair-to-middling. Cold Peroni on tap was a nice touch, and one in our group had a burger, which was reportedly good. All in all, not bad, slightly overpriced and I see no obvious reason to return. Halve the prices, and I would consider a return visit, but for goodness' sake, clean the joint up. read more