Food was wonderful! Very nice atmosphere! The owners were so friendly and you can tell they are passionate about making the customers happy. I recommend! read more

The food and the service are amazing!! I honestly haven't had food this good in a very long time. Can't wait to go back! I love supporting a local business, especially when it's awesome read more

First time for two of us and very happy with our meals. Enjoyed the complimentary bread with cheese. Took advantage of extended restaurant week and ordered pasta bolognese with famous meatballs as app and choc mousse as dessert. Entree and app were delicious. Only comment is burrata was very cold and hard in middle of my pasta. I admit I'm not familiar with how that is typically served so I asked and was told that's the correct way. I enjoyed it much more once it warmed up a bit, but that took a few minutes. Choc Mousse had peanut butter in it, not for me but others may like it. Was offered something else but declined. Husband had chicken/shrimp, loved the chicken, very tender and flavorful. Shrimp were good, just not great. He also prefers thinner noodles but that's his preference, nothing wrong with the pasta. He also loved the meatballs and his crème brûlée. We added an order of calamari and tried both sauces. Delicious!!! Our server was Marcella, she was wonderful. Owner? Came by and checked on everything, always a nice touch. Will be back to try more things. read more

The food and service was absolutely amazing ! The staff is seriously on point never making you wait, extremely knowledgeable, and friendly from the second you sit down to the second you leave. The food was absolutely amazing and the deserts were some of the best I've ever had. Toms River needed an establishment like this ! So much better then all the high priced chain restaurants. Definitely worth going too just an all around great restaurant and awesome small business. read more

Dina's Bistro - Filet mignon topped with crab cake spinach and shrimp. AMAZING. - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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Great dinner! Love the owners, they're so personable and the food was made with love. I had the filet mignon and got some of their garlic butter on the side and it was UNREAL. Love escaping the island to come here. read more

Fantastic dinner Party of 6 everyone enjoyed the apps dinner and DESSERT. We go out once a month together n have eaten most places in Tom's river. Dina Rich n Jesse are awesome read more

Food was okay 5 people came to $330 and the price per entree didn't live up to the price being asked to pay. The New York style cheesecake was horrible and we ended up having to pick up cheesecake elsewhere. 5 star prices not 5 star quality. read more

Great family restaurant. The place was packed every dish that was ordered people raved about we were served family style and the food just kept coming. Wonderful service and attentiveness why everyone there. We will definitely be back and encourage others as well. By the way everyone was pretty stuffed by the time the main course came out. Reservations are a must. read more

1. Table bread with olives in it? Not a fan. The prime rib was a fatty, a very thin cut and no real au just, it was like some thin kind of salad dressing as the au jus. That is not acceptable. Finally you serve a brownie with ice cream dessert, why is this not heated up? The brownie should always be warm is not hot. This is amateur night at the Jersey Shore, very sad. I know they care, they want the food to be good but just don't know how. If they don't figure it out fast and get through the learning curve they simply will not make it. They need to hire someone who has real restaurant experience who can get them up to speed. Sorry if this hurts it is meant to be constructive. read more

We were fans of the restaurant that occupied the space before and were hoping we wouldn't be disappointed! Great news, we weren't! The service was outstanding! The food was fantastic!! It definitely is going to be one of our go to places to eat!! Highly recommend!! read more

Last night I ate at Dina's Bistro on 2008 Highway 37 in Toms River, NJ. Let me say the food was outrageously good. OMG the appetizer Meatballs with a dollop of ricotta was sooooo good. I went with friends and they raved about the food as well. Atmosphere was great, great service, and highly recommend this restaurant. The desserts are home made, I had cheesecake and my friend had pistachio cake, he LOVED it. I can't say it enough, check out Dina's Bistro. For a Wednesday night it was packed, must have reservations. And it's a BYOB. You won't be disappointed. read more

We waited an hour and half to get some of the worst food. Waitress was wonderful and they did take my husband's meal off the bill. FYI been married 44 years and my husband has never complained about a meal. read more

I had a small intimate party planned for 12 people and Dina's did a fabulous job . Service excellent . Owners so kind and helpful . The food was plentiful and absolutely delicious . The strawberry cannoli cream cake was outstanding . They use a bakery in Atlantic City . Highly recommend read more

Ordered the catering package for thanksgiving, it was absolutely delicious! We had so much amazing food and my whole family enjoyed it together for the holiday. We especially liked the stuffing & the butternut squash soup. The apple crisp for dessert was out of this world good! Thank you again and happy holidays! read more

We ordered the Thanksgiving package and picked up the food Thanksgiving day. Package included choice of soup, salad, whole cooked turkey, sausage stuffing, mash potatoes, sweet caramelized potatoes, two vegetables, gravy, cranberries and two complete desserts. Everything was wonderful. We had plenty of food. I was worried Turkey would be dry but it was not. We substituted the mash potatoes with gluten free Mac & cheese. The gluten free Mac & cheese was really good. Even the people without gluten allergies liked it. We will definitely do this again. Thank you, Rich, for this great experience and service. read more

A very powerful blessing to Dina's, Rich and Jessie. They acted immediately when I called them for a Thanksgiving meal to a relative who is homebound. The sincere and personal response is well above anything I could have imagined. I am out of state, everything was done by phone and a genuine trust. May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob place a very special blessing on all of you. It will happen. From a grateful man in Northern Virgina (Jersey ex-pat). All of you have a very special place there in Toes River. They brought a miracle. read more

The new owners are fabulous very friendly the food is excellent and the service is just as good as before. Highly recommend read more

I held a small gathering with friends here recently and everything was phenomenal. The service, the food , the attention to detail were all spot on. Richie and Dina and staff were amazing and so accommodating to our party. I couldn't ask for a better experience! Definitely recommend read more

8 ladies dined together and all of us were beyond impressed. Our server was a delight and every dish was incredible, notably the meatballs, beet salad and seafood special which was red snapper. The pasta was also fantastic. The icing on the cake was meeting the proprietors including Dina and the couldn't have been more lovely. This cozy Italian bistro is a gem and we will definitely be back. read more

What a hidden gem! I kept hearing rave reviews about this restaurant, but somehow never made it there until last night. Myself and three friends were so impressed and happy with our delicious meals. Every single item we ordered, appetizers, meals and desserts were off the chart. The owners, Dina and her son and Rich were so pleasant. They are running a very old school restaurant where the owners truly care about their customers and make a point to come around and talk to you and make sure that you are satisfied with every part of your meal. look forward to being loyal, steady customers. Btw I ordered the 12 oz lobster tail... melt in your mouth, the beet salad w goat cheese and the homemade cheesecake! read more

My husband and I just learned of Dina's after reading some pretty good reviews. We dined there this evening and were delighted with the experience. The food was exceptional, the wait person, Tiffany, was personable, professional and so very pleasant, and the atmosphere was friendly and inviting. This is a great family owned business that we are fortunate to learn of. We will return often! read more

Excellent Food, Great Personable Service. Cacio De Pepe was delicious! We'll definitely be back

Food and service were excellent. We had a table of 8 on prime rib night 6 had prime rib 2 had short ribs we were all pleased and will certainly return. Very pleasant evening. read more

Dina's is a wonderful restaurant with great food and staff. They are the best round with a clean and friendly atmosphere. I can't say enough good things about Dina's. I highly recommend. read more

This was our first time after reading a suggestion from a Facebook comment about restaurants in the area. Our waitress Kim was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We had the bang bang shrimp and the antipasto salad for two which could have easily feed 4 people! Surf and turf came out cooked perfectly and the chicken Milanese was plentiful! Cheesecake and the chocolate lava cake were definitely homemade as stated! Plenty of leftovers, BYOB, a warm reception from Dina and Rich and the very best olive bread...we will be returning real soon! read more

Fantastic food and great service! I have to come back to try at least three more appetizers.

Let me start by saying that the inside is very nice and our waitress was excellent. Now for the food, we had a special spring rolls that were quite dry and we had the flat bread, not much taste and extremely doughy. As for the main courses, all four of us had different dishes, and they were ok. I think this place could do better. read more

My wife and I have been there twice so far, since it changed hands. The first time we went was for Thursday night prime rib night. Excellent! Especially for the price. And the second time we went was last night and everything was excellent as well. The staff couldn't be nicer. Such friendly servers. Rich, the owner, is a gentleman as well! read more

My husband and I were regulars of Serenity Cafe for quite a number of years. We were sad to see it go. We tried Dinas last week and it was amazing. We had zuppa clams for appetizer and the broth was delicious. My husband had mahi which he loved and I had the strip steak which was cooked perfectly and topped with blue cheese. We didn't have room for dessert but all the dishes we saw going to the other tables looked so great. I'm happy that they kept the decor. It's always been my happy place to relax and have a nice dinner and I'm glad we have our family owned restaurant back. Good luck and we will be regulars. read more

Went out with a party of seven last night, and it was a most enjoyable experience. The waitress was very pleasant and attentive, and the food was excellent. Everyone commented how much they enjoyed the meals and the appetizers. We were seated at a large round table, and, although they were busy, it was not difficult to converse with those across the table. A lovely experience! read more

My husband and another couple ate here Saturday night. My friend had seen something about it on social media. We both have homes on the barrier island so Dina's wasn't far at all. Just over the bridge and 2 lights past Fisher. We didn't know what to expect since we didn't know anyone that's dined here before. (They opened in November) It's a BYOB. We made a reservation for 7:30 and we closed the place with Rich & Dina the owners at 10:00. It's such a warm and friendly place and not to mention the food was awesome. From appy's to the desert, quite an amazing dining experience. We will be back soon! read more

I went into Dinas Tonight not knowing what to expect. Was very Happy with everything. Was greeted by the owner with a huge smile. Food was to die for. I had a butterflied pork chop stuffed with spinach and sausage. It was a melt in your mouth dish. Definitely will go back. read more

They recently changed their name but the food is still fabulous. The seafood dishes are excellent. Best fried calamari I've ever had, cooked to perfection. The sea bass, tuna, steak, all delicious. The dining room is small and they are busy so go early. Waitress was very nice and efficient. The place could use a remodel though. A bit dark and dreary. read more

Delicious meal, professional staff and very nice atmosphere ! The dessert was spectacular ! Can't wait to come back!

I had dinner on New Year's Eve. Everything about it was amazing, the service, atmosphere, and especially the food. Will definitely be going back and also telling my friends. read more

New owners, nice people. Still feeling their way but good food and byo. They have take out as well as seating. Get a reservation on the weekend. read more

After reading all the great reviews on yelp we finally got to try out Dina's. What a very cute restaurant with a terrific staff. It was our waitress's first day on the job and she did a fantastic job taking care of us. The hostess was a pure delight! We enjoyed talking with her and laughing throughout our time there. Now, on to our dinners. Unfortunately, I have to say it was nothing special. The stuffed shrimp w/risotto was pretty good. The pork loin special was tasteless and dry. The best thing on the plate were the green beans and they were over cooked. The chicken parmigiana was okay. Nothing special. Quite bland. The chickenMurphy was not eatable. It was a huge oblong dish of a lot of hot odd tasting chicken sausage and potatoes. I don't think we'll be going back any time soon. We were a party of 4 and we all walked out so disappointed. It's a byob and was quite pricy for all the disappointments. Not what was expected at all. I wish I had better things to say about the food because the ambiance and staff were well worth noting. read more

I don't even know where to start. It wouldn't allow me to leave a 0 star review otherwise I would have. My wife and I went on a Thursday night- "Prime Rib" night. I made a 6:30 reservation. We arrived at 6:25 and were seated right away. It took the waitress about 10 minutes to come to our table. She explained it was busy in the kitchen so she put bread in the oven for us and got us water and a soda. She came back with the bread 10 minutes later. She said it is "Prime Rib" night. I said that is why I was there. She then said "oh I think we are down to 3 orders left" at which point my wife said we definitely want one of them. The waitress said she would go reserve one for me. We didn't see her for another 15 minutes when she came to take our order. My wife ordered the meatball appetizer and the pork osobucco. The waitress then asked what I was having- I reminded her that she reserved one of the prime ribs left for me. She said "oh we don't have any left". So I said you went and reserved one of the last 3 for me about 20 minutes ago. She mumbled something about a party next door (didn't see a party next door) and the prime rib was gone. One would think she would have come out right away and told me there were none left. Nope. So then I had to scramble to find an alternative. My wife said don't leave he just needs a minute to decide. The waitress walked away and didn't come back for 10 more minutes. Now we were there for 50 minutes already. I ordered the chicken parm and a Caesar salad. Fast forward to the 1:15 mark of us being there- no salad or meatball app yet. The waitress brought out two salads- one a Caesar and one wedge salad. My wife said that's not ours- we have a meatball and Caesar salad. The salads were for the table behind us that ordered 10-15 minutes after we did! At that point, we got up, I left enough money for the soda and bread, and we told the hostess we were leaving because we were there for 1:15 with no end in sight. We got to the car, and a man, the owner I guess, came to the car and apologized. Mind you, he passed our table at least 4-5 times while we were seated and never said a word to us. He said he would get us a gift certificate for next time. He asked what the issue was, so my wife explained what happened. He offered to cover our appetizers- great but we never got them! He then asked if we wanted the food to go- I said no because we will still have to wait for it to be done. My wife explained that we eat out frequently and we are very patient, but this was too much. The man said sorry and walked away- no gift certificate- which is ok because we will not be back. There are too many places around where this doesn't happen. I get that people are short staffed and everyone has a bad night, but things could have been done while we were seated to make it tolerable (ask if we wanted another drink, more bread, not run out of your special at 6:30, etc) it's unfortunate but that's what happened on our first trip to Dina's. read more

Great new place in the area. Everything was delicious. Pleasant atmosphere, and a very nice and accommodating waitress. We will definitely be back. read more

I need to start by saying , the food is very good. The family(ownership) is very very nice people that are out front . However , we observed that they do not help out the severs when it's needed . We watched 2 family members that are part of ownership just relaxing , chatting with tables but not helping the wait staff, clear plates, move on to the next course, ect while people sat and waited for a very long time for the checks ( the people across from us waited well over a half an hour and were soo annyed it was hard not to notice) or to get their orders taken , The wait staff was clearly drowning!! Our waiter had 8 tables it looked like , he was lovely but just couldn't keep up. Management needs to step up during those times. We were there for over 2 hours , no appetizer , dessert to go. And not to be rude , but a family member who is very nice , needs to be aware that personal hygiene is very important and can not be overlooked, particularly dealing with the public and food. His body odor was soo strong several tables close to our table were also very aware and even made comments that could be heard . Hopefully ownership can take constructive criticism as I just love family owned restaurants and hope for them very best. read more