I want to start off this review by saying we are not picky eaters or snobs who expect perfection. We had heard great things about Daniel's Bistro, so we made a reservation for Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. First of all, the attitude of the owner needs to change. She was incredibly standoff-ish when we first arrived. After we were seated, it was about fifteen minutes until our order was taken (also disappointed they were out of the tuna appetizer at 8pm). There were four of us and we all ordered appetizers. They were very good. Here is where our problem started- first of all our waitress barely showed her face after taking our order. However the busboy and boy refilling the water were outstanding, really on top of things. Anyway, from the time we finished our appetizer, it took about an hour (totally unacceptable) for our dinner to come out. We watched tables on either side of us get seated and fed before we received our dinner, and they arrived 15 minutes after we sat down. We asked about half way through the wait where our dinner was, and was told it would be "right out". Twenty minutes later, a shrimp cocktail arrived. No one ordered it, and so we asked the runner what it was for. He didn't know, then someone came back to say, sorry your dinner is so late, this is on us. Really? A shrimp cocktail? Our dinner finally arrived, and to be honest, I had filet mignon, which you really can't screw up. But my friend had it also and she ordered it medium well and it came out rare. By this time, she just decided to eat it, because we were there for two hours. Again, the waitress never once came over to say "sorry this taking so long", never offered us more bread, nothing. This leads me to believe (and I've waitressed in the past, so I'm familiar) she somehow screwed up our order. Maybe never put the entrees in. Whatever- bottom line, the food was fine (I expected it to be better) but the service was atrocious. When we left, the waitress and owner were at the door, and again, barely acknowledged us or said they were sorry. Won't be going back... read more

This review is just for the new location in Avon. Small, store-front spot. Way too dark. tiny little light on table. Had to use Phone app to read menu and see entree. Like the Pt Pleasant spot so much better. Food was pretty good. Seafood salad was all calamari with one shrimp, needed lemon and more seasoning. Osso Bucco was good, but in the dark hard to see the fatty sections that didn't taste good. Nice waitress, byo. Pricey for the lack of ambiance and close seating. ASK for the prices of the specials, they are not told and some much more than similar items on menu. read more

Food here is awesome. Last night we enjoyed the scallops and halibut. Wonderful! The restaurant was packed but the service was still impeccable. Love this place read more

We are regulars at Daniel's. its amazing everytime we go! havent had a bad meal yet and we go at least twice to three times a month. the only bad thing i can say its that its kinda hard to get in, reservations highly recommond it and weeks in a advance if you want to get in weekends. but the food and the service is def worth the wait! the BYOB part its a plus also becasue you get to control what u want and at a controled price. def give it a try read more

You simply will not find better food at the Jersey Shore than this. The quality is seamless, the service is always good. Their portions are sometimes a little off (the vegetable/sides portions are weak), and the restaurant is a bit dark and confined. Otherwise, this place really can't be beat. read more

Wonderful place for a special occasion, upscale for Point Pleasant. The food was great, although a little pricey. It is a BYOB, so you save a little there. Will definitely go back! read more

One of the best restaurants in Point Pleasant! Always consistently good food and service. It is a BYOB which is very nice. Sometimes it's hard to get in so i would recommend making a reservation. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating. I would definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

This BYOB restaurant is a gem. Fantastic menu from top to bottom. Colorado rack of lamb was off the charts. Fish entrees were fresh like it just came out of the ocean ( and it may well just have ). Service was attentive, quick and knowledgeable. Great dining experience. Would go back in a heartbeat. Great job !!! read more

Went early on a Saturday night (party of 4)...place was empty. I wasn't too sure about our choice for a restaurant at that point, but within an hour the place was packed! When we got our food, i knew then it was one of the best choices for dinner i made in a long time. Clams oreganata were to die for...i had a special tortellini in champagne sauce that was absolutely delicious. The waitress was very friendly and attentive. Best part is that it is a BYOB...Hope we can still get in there during the summer! read more

Excellent! Crab cakes app so fresh; barramundi fish was tremendous. Definitely will return.

Where do I begin? My wife and I have been married for 9 years and live in Point Pleasant we are not snobs or from money or think we are better than someone else and have never written a review on anything ever...until now. So to celebrate our ninth anniversary we had heard such great things about Daniel's Bistro and decided to go since it was close to home and would be convenient for babysitter and time. I order my meal and it was passable and as for my wife this is where its gets interesting/disgusting/disrespectful/plug in your own word. She orders the Prime Rib Eye Steak, medium. She takes her first bite and has a look of disgust on her face. She has returned 3 dishes in our nearly 15 yrs together. By the time the waitress comes back to our table I am finished and you can take my plate...as for my wife she does not like the steak and does not want the dish. She then says she will get the manager. A nappy looking lady late 50's. She comes to our table and as soon as I begin to talk she rolls her eyes and puts up her hands. Then my wife starts to explain and she interrupts and says it is a grilled steak and nothing is wrong with it...My wife replies...I know it is a grilled steak...and has a 1/4 inch crust that tastes like charcoal and it does not agree with me whatsoever...she took 2 small bites to go along with my bite. The lady then replies..."Well what do you want then?" Nothing, my husband is done eating...we have already been here for nearly 1 hour and 45 mins and I don't want to sit here to wait for another dish and have my husband watch me eat it." The lady replies...."ok then," and walks away with the dish. After talking to our server I see her talking to this women; where she is waving her arms again. So the old lady returns to our table and says there is nothing wrong with that steak and what do I want to do about it?...are you kidding me...what do I want to do about it. I explained to you we have a sitter and do not have all night nor do I want my husband sitting and watching me eat. I would rather leave hungry. Lady says, "so now what?"..I tell her to take the steak back and take it off the bill we need to leave. We both get up and she takes the keys and sits in the car. I am now at the hostess desk and ask the lady for my bill. She now finally totals up the bill complete with my wife's steak still on. I give her cash for everything but the steak and a generous tip and she says...your not paying for the steak...I say no I told you 3x and the waitress 2x...she says ok...I am calling the POLICE and shows me as she dials 911 as if to scare me. After she talks to dispatch and says I have an unruly customer who will not pay his bill...then she turns to me and says Daniels is the best restaraunt in town and the surrounding towns and that MAYBE TGI Fridy's is more your speed!"...in a raised voice like she is talking to a child. I then ask the waitress's standing around the hostess desk is this lady always like this...you have to work with this one...I feel very sorry for you. So the cops comes...( And here at Daniels Bistro to support the local business owners in town and have been treated like I am someone who is looking to start trouble for a business owner...I am not.) Talking to the cops I explain the situation after the hostess talks to the cops on her own and tells her I was going to walk out and not pay the bill. The cop(s) come over to me now...being very nice says...look you are going to have to pay for the bill...I explain to him I have no problem paying the bill minus the steak. He says that unfortunately he cannot police poor customer service and you have to pay the entire bill why he is laughing. I couldn't help at this point to laugh as well. I told the cop I am not stepping foot in the restaurant and hand him 60 more dollars and told him I want all the change and he replies that I don't blame you. So I am standing at the front door and the owner/hostess says so you are going to stiff your server...I say I never have before and she has you to blame for that. So in closing I have never has such a horrible experience in my life. If you are considering going to Daniels just realize who you are patronizing and god help you if something in your order is not to your liking. read more

We were a party of 5 and each and every one us were more than happy with our meals. The staff is amazing and very accomodating. The food is the best anywhere in the Point Pleasant area. My family and I enjoy eating out and we have been to many restaurants in the area as well as up and down the Jersey shore. Daniels is our favorite. Always consistent, always delicious. We don't like going anywhere else. And make sure you try the Riccotta cheesecake for dessert. It's the most authentic you will taste outside of Italy. EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Amazing. From the service to the food everything is great. They start you off with a complimentary soup and bruschetta. Duck meatballs delicious and perfectly cooked. Entrees were tremendous and dessert was great. It's a great experience and I highly recommend it. Sara our server was great. BYOB! read more

Wow, what a great night at Daniels! Great company, magnificent service, relaxed atmosphere, and OUT OF THIS WORLD dinner!!!!!! Starting with an assortment of appetizers, one better than the other! Our family and friends a party of eight, had a feast! Dinners were absolutely amazing, not a clean plate in the house! The owner was absolutely amazing, making us all feel at home! Desert, coffee.... Hate to end the evening! read more

We went to Daniels on a recommendation. The Two star review is not for the food. The food was excellent. The atmosphere in the restaurant does not match the food or the high price that you pay for it. We were seated at a table that looked straight at the restroom. Difficult to see the bathroom door opening and closing during our meal. Especially when it's a simple fix to place a screen to block that view. The place needs a paint job and quite frankly a good cleaning. When dining out....it's the entire experience from the time you arrive including the atmosphere and the food and the service that makes a place special. I was disappointed. Probably won't be back. read more

This is our favorite restaurant in the area. Food is outstanding as is the service. Cozy inside and outdoor dining in warmer weather. I have NEVER been disappointed. Innovative menu and a lot of items on the menu to choose from. Daniels receives My highest recommendation read more

Beware of Daniels. Everything you think you know about customer service goes out the window at this place. My business partner and I took a would be client to Daniels on a Saturday night for dinner. Our reservation was for 8:15. After waiting for the better part of 20 minutes in a cramped "waiting area" in front of a cluttered and unkempt hostess stand, we were sat at our table. We waited 15 minutes for a server to greet us, and another 10 for her to come back with wine glasses. The food was mediocre at best. For $34, I would expect more than a 4 oz portion of fish. The best part comes when my partner and I split the check. We get the checkbook back with each card wrapped in its own receipt. We sign and tip the server her 20%. When I get my credit card statement a week later I realize I have been charged twice. I called Daniels to have them rectify this. I was told by Karen that "it's your fault for not checking your receipt before you leave, and this is what happens when you split checks ". Karen then proceeded to berate me over the phone, threatening to call my business partner who made the reservation. Then she hung up on me, and actually called my business partner and left a nasty voicemail. Not only is this inappropriate, it is shocking. This type of behavior is not what I expected when dining at Daniels. The other reviews paint a picture of a wonderful dining experience. It seems they pay to have the negative reviews removed, because after checking out the "unhelpful reviews " section on yelp, the truth comes out. The owner Karen is a nasty, disrespectful, and awful business owner. She treats her customers like trash. Oh and she also told me "I won't eat that money, if you try to dispute it on your credit card, I will also dispute it". What a great business practice. I hope this was worth the $60 Karen. read more

Outstanding, Front-end and back-end service was excellent.. Food was great, appetizers had oysters and my wife had pear salad, both very good. Complimentary tasting of Leek Potato soup very nice touch. Main course had Barramundi special and my wife had Artic Char both very good. Took a pass on dessert for dietary reasons but was served a tasting of chocolate brownie with raspberry. This was our first visit to Daniels. Really, a great restaurant. read more

What else can I say but WOW!! My wife and I went there tonight for our anniversary dinner based on previous Yelp reviews and we were not disappointed. Everything was superb, from the service to the food. The appetizers of mussels and duck meatballs were splendid and the sauces/broths they were served in were incredible. The entrees of zuppe di pesce and halibut were delicious. The broccoli rabe was the best I had anywhere. And then the dessert-zabaglione prepared tableside. Wonderful! The complimentary dessert for our anniversary was a very nice touch. We will definitely be back. And the location is ideal, just blocks from the boardwalk. Just make sure to bring your own wine. Amazing! Thanks to everyone at Daniel's for a wonderful time!! read more

errible and very upsetting experience. We went for a special occasion. We were so excited for the presumably good menu. Sadly, when we got there, we quickly saw that our "table" was attached to the hostess' station which is a cramped, loud, and highly trafficked area right next to the front door. It felt like we would be eating with the hostess at our table, really. Because of her loudly answering phone calls, many menus spilling over her station over to table, plus the small seating space - we politely asked to switch tables to one of the many other open tables. The hostess told us that 'it's the only seat available in the house tonight.' Her tone was crass, at best (as if the question offended her). It was very clear that this was not the first time she has had to defend this seating arrangement to an unsuspecting couple like us. I'm sure other couples have come in, been sat in the same spot, and asked to move before too. For the amount of money we were going to spend on this special meal, we should have been told, in advance, that our table was going to be cramped so we could make an educated decision on if we still wanted to come despite the circumstances. Of course, that wasn't the case. We left immediately and luckily, we found a table and a great nearby restaurant in Point and the night was saved. Word of caution: ask where your seat is prior to booking. We didn't realize asking this question was a necessity, but it turns out it is at this establishment. Sad lesson learned. read more

I really wish i wasn't this disappointed. Ive heard great things so we wanted to try. I rather have laid back service than a restaurant attempt high end service and fail. (I work in a 3 Michelin star restaurant so i might or might not know a thing or two about food and service). It's cute that they start with an amuse bouche but the server just dropped them at the table and left. Didn't bother explaining what it was ( some type of tomato bisque with a crostini and bruschetta topped with a sad piece of oily parmesan). Next we had a bottle of sparkling water, when the glasses were low on water we were refilled with regular tap on top. Not that big of a deal, but still a careless mistake. Appetizers came out i had "crab cakes" that were two teeny tiny crab cakes that were mushed up crab meat and on the plate two halves of a red and yellow cherry tomato. Mind you the menu states "COLOSSAL crabmeat with GRILLED HEIRLOOM tomatoes" the tomatoes definitely were nowhere near grilled nor seasoned and two halves of a cherry tomato is just sad. The tuna tar tar is another disappointment the red bell pepper and crazy salty soy sauce overwhelmed the tuna completely. The only good app we tried were the duck meatballs. When our app plates were being cleared ( i am assuming they follow the rule that they clear everyone's empty plates at once) our friend was not finished eating. Instead of clearing the other plates quietly and coming back after the last bite the girl apologized a few times and stood there for a moment making it a little awkward and very obvious she had just made a mistake although no one would have noticed if she had just walked away. Being set up with dinner cutlery my fork and knife were on the wrong sides (again no big deal but everyone else's were correct another carless mistake) and then everyone liked there dinner (only reason this post is getting two stars instead of one) except (of course) me. (We made a quick joke that the restaurant gods were out to get me that night and moved on). I ordered the halibut, which is just such a wonderful dish and i wanted to cry (sad sad tears ) when i tasted my dish. The fish was so overcooked it was a sin. Drenched in some sort of overwhelmingly lemony marsala wine sauce. The risotto tasted like biting into a parmesan cheese wheel and the mushrooms on top were so inedible that even when my bf had a taste he cringed because they were so sour from the lemon juice. My bf enjoyed his steak (i ate half) and our friends enjoyed the tender lobster tails and the duck. When we were being cleared i had my plate sitting at the edge of the table for the better part of dinner, the waitress asked if i wanted my fish wrapped without noticing that i barely ate any of it at all and didn't ask if i hadn't liked my dish ( i clearly could not have been full from two quarter sized "crab cakes") . Dessert was nothing to talk about so so cheesecake and bananas foster made table side was good. My cappuccino was so terrible it was topped with an extremely dense foam that i was not able to stomach opting for plain coffee and my friend received just warm coffee herself. Needless to say we wont be coming back. read more

We will never go back!!! The owner is sooooo RUDE!!!!!!!! The meal came out and it was not as described, waitress kindly took order back to kitchen. The owner then came to table and told us we are "sadly mistaken" then walked away and brought the side dish of risotto back and said "you should just eat this cause it's going to be thrown away". REALLY!!!!!! She expects this this to be eaten after it was brought back!!! The table of 4 next to us saw the whole thing and talked to us on our way out and they were shocked to see her behavior. It blows my mind how she can stay in business with that attitude!!!!! read more

My family and I have eaten at Daniel's a half dozen times. Most restaurants sooner or later seem to disappoint....NOT Daniel's Bistro. I love the Halibut, which I had on my most recent visit. My wife and son had the rib-eye........delicious and done just right. Our appetizers were also delicious......fried calamari and crusted sea scallops. Consistency is what Daniel's is all about.......food is always great. The owners and staff have always made us feel welcome.....that's important to me. Thanks for a lovely evening 4/10/11. read more

Pretentious, obnoxious and nasty senior servers and hostess attacking customers is what Daniel's Bistro offers. The waitress brought the salads and asked how we liked them. She JUST placed them on the table! We hadn't unwrapped our napkins. She disappeared. Yes, enjoy your salad while waiting 20 minutes for salt and pepper. I committed a felony for asking if I could substitute a gnocchi TASTE (I asked for 1) for the risotto offered with the duck!!!! A big galoot came out of the kitchen to scald me so the other diners would learn protocol. Nice touch. We both ordered the duck breast which came with foie gras and risotto. After we got the salt and pepper the duck arrived cold and without the risotto OR the foie gras. Tried flagging down ANY wait astaff including the hostess but we were invisible. Apparently we we being punished for the substitution request! Flailing our arms and looking all around for someone, I picked up conversation from the table next to us saying how nice it was that they were given extra gnocchi!!! HA ! Oh no! The galoot came back. What did we say? No fois gras? No risotto? Cold? It's cold because we left it on the table for 30 minutes without eating anything except the invisible risotto and fois gras! That took the cake. Our waitress appeared, we tipped her. Fun is fun but we decided to leave and never return. read more

We ate at Daniel's Bistro in Avon two times before submitting this review. The food is always very good (have been to the Pt. Pleasant location several times) and like many good BYO's the special entrees can be in $35 area. For that price I expect above average food and service. The new place is small and noisy which is made worse by the electric piano player in the front of the restaurant (ridiculous to have a noisy piano as the diners already have trouble hearing each other). When I asked to substitute my starch for double vegetable I found out they would not do it when my entree was brought to the table and the waitress told me "they do not substitute a vegetable for a starch". Seriously?? Not a few green beans as I requested?? I paid $34 for my fish entree and was disappointed by the lack of a simple accommodation. That combined with other missteps like being greeted by the hostess smoking outside the front door, and a lack of attention to our table by the waitress (dinner took 3 hours) This place has very good food but misses the mark of being a good restaurant. It is more than the food that make us return to a restaurant, it is the whole experience including service, being greeted properly, and being able to hear each other at the table. This is a place you want to like but lacks the class and trained staff you can find at many other BYO'S. We will not return. read more

My husband and I were in Point Pleasant Beach last Tuesday looking for somewhere to have dinner, as we were unfamiliar with any restaurants other than the boardwalk spots where we usually take our kids, and several places seemed to be closed. We saw Daniel's, realized it was open, and popped in. I'll admit, I kind of expected it to be pretentious and overpriced. I was SO pleasantly surprised. Staff was friendly and attentive. The pricing was not so different than a chain restaurant, but unlike a chain, you get truly wonderful food. We didn't order an appetizer, but the server brought us a small, kind of sample sized, soup and crostini with bruschetta, along with our warm bread. I had the halibut with risotto, and my husband had the loin of pork with roasted potatoes. For dessert, we had cappucinos, ricotta cheese cake, and flourless chocolate cake, along with another sample of brownies with raspberry sauce. Everything we had was absolutely delicious, and portion sizes were perfect. Best restaurant meal I've ever eaten. It's BYOB, so if you like a little wine with dinner, grab a bottle before you go. I look forward to going again next time I'm in the area. read more

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER again... the only thing good about my experience was the polite hostess and enthusiastic staff... the owner, however is rude. Not only to the customers, but also to the staff that was working for her. I have worked in the industry for many years and i have never been made to feel so bad for what a restaurants workers must endure on a daily basis. If Daniel and Karen actually treated their staff respectfully, they might have more than one table a night during the week. I am surprised ANYONE would want to work there, and with that type of behavior so easily observed by customers, i wouldn't recommend eating there either. I wish that i could have enjoyed my food and not worried about if my waitress was gonna cry before nights end. I have been a long time customer at the bistro before it became the trattoria, and a customer of both since. I live locally and love to support my local community, but i would drive anywhere else not to have an experience like this. I am sad to say this was not the first time i observed this with this place, but it will definitely be my last. read more