Called for reservation and was told, "Our menu online is the same one we have had for several months." So, we checked it out on Saturday morning. That evening, went to dine at Dinas and there were many changes: 1. Prices, everything at least $2. more than online, which BTW were higher than 6 months ago (eg. My previous review Crab cakes $25, online now $28, menu 6/17 $30; inflation?). 2. Items on online menu not available, not on menu 6/17, eg. Veal osso buco $38 and Rack of Lamb $39. which were actually two items that interested us. We arrived at 515 pm as reserved. Shannan was our attentive server. Ambiance pleasant. Food good. We ordered Beet Napoleon $16, Pork Osso buco $34, and Chilean Seabass $45 (price listed on menu). Everything a few dollars more than current online menu. I thought, oh well Seabass went from $43 to $45. What really irked me was on the bill (see pictures) they charged $46. for Seabass when menu in restaurant had $45. One dollar is insignificant when your total bill with tip is over $125. but it is the principle of price changing that annoyed me. We go out to eat often and are surprised Dinas keeps raising prices. read more

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I am shocked that there are any good reviews of this place. We went here the other night with my brother in law's family. 9 people in all, 5 children including a baby. We had a reservation for 6:40. They weren't prepared for us and rushed around to prepare a table. We were then seated and had to wait another half hour to even be greeted. When we asked if they could at least decant the wine, we were met with eye rolls. I then flagged that we didn't even have menus, and we had made the reservation early because we have young children with us and I was informed that the kitchen was backed up and we'd just have to wait. At 7:15 we were finally served bread and they opened the wine that we brought. We ordered our food and the waitress got parts of the order wrong despite us repeating ourselves multiple times, but by the time the food came it was too late to fix it with the kids. The one meal of the order that's worth flagging in particular, though, was my husband's order of the surf and turf, which was $80. The steak looked like it was boiled - zero grill marks. It was also a super cheap cut of meat, with butter on top that didn't melt, because the steak wasn't hot enough. The lobster tail was over cooked and rubbery and served with watered down butter. It looked so unappetizing that he passed on eating the whole thing. Which was fine, because by the time the food finally came out the baby was melting down and my husband just ate my pasta instead. We understand that the shore is busy especially near holiday weekends. We also understand rush hour and that rush hour can be particularly busy when you offer karaoke on top of it (which, by the way, we would have preferred to know in advance...we may have gone somewhere else for that simple fact alone). Regardless, I would have probably let everything above go if it wasn't for the disdain and apathy from the staff. At one point we had a manager (owner?) come to the table and I almost followed her toward the kitchen to chat with her about her attitude. It was spectacularly unprofessional. We also did note our displeasure at the end of the meal and they did nothing - not even apologize - for our experience. The bill was over $300 and it was BYOB, so that was solely for terrible food with terrible service. Hoping we can save others from making the mistake of spending time and money at this business. There are far better restaurants down the shore with good quality food and kind people who treat others with decency. read more

EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING *SERVICE *FOOD * ATMOSPHERE PERFECTION Add it to b y o b. Don't miss a chance to dine here. It's like your a famous Hollywood star They treat you with warm, welcoming respectful treatment. I'm going back tomorrow. Deb read more

Food was awesome. My Osso Buco was the best I have eaten. It was moist, tender, and savory. My wife's chicken milanese was the same. Waitstaff were very friendly and hardworking. They could use another person to improve the time to service. read more

I am staying at the Hershey motel in seaside and they have a sister restaurant here . The chef / owner came out with complimentary apps to show case his restaurant we explained to him we were looking for something a little more upscale than the motel restaurant he suggested his sister restaurant! Dinas bistro he told us about all the fabulous specials... BYOB . We made a reservation for 6:30 showed up at 6:20 and were not greeted with kindness at the door except an attitude... we're finally sat in the side room that's obviously used for over flow but it was over cluttered with things that would normally be stored in a basement. We than sat while the owners son and mother sat and ate dinner that was supposedly a new special on the menu while the rest of the restaurant was failing. No water or bread on the table took 30 mins for that to even happen... we ordered the 3 courses. First course took 30 mins to arrive my mussels were gross . Brown fishy ! And then it all went down hill ... complained and they asked us to leave!!! read more

First time here, will definitely be back ,great food in a dining room that makes you feel like your home and the owners had us take a photo of there valentine table read more

My BFF and I decided very last minute to meet for dinner during the Super Bowl. She was at a class on route 37 and asked around if anyone knew a restaurant nearby and a woman recommended Dina's. For the majority of our visit we had the restaurant to ourselves and there was a small family party in the adjoining room. They only recently started opening in Sunday nights and didn't expect a crowd since the game was on. We had to keep telling them to go watch the game! The family was so unbelievably attentive and they'd given their staff the night off to watch the game I could go on and on about how fabulous Dina and Rich were but the food was the star!!! My bestie and I almost chose a different restaurant because I wanted Artichokes Francaise; lo and behold it was on their Specials Menu and was the first time the restaurant was serving them. We ordered a second helping! Need I say more?! I have had Mexican, Puerto Rican, Columbian and Dominican Empanadas IN each of those countries and these cheesesteak empanadas were the best I've ever had! The charcuterie board was beautiful, we almost ordered the large and Dina's husband Rich convinced us the small would be plenty...I had it for dinner for the next two nights!!! The kitchen made shrimp for the party and Rich brought us some to taste! Lastly, the desserts! Homemade by Dina's Mom and out of this world! I've attached pictures of everything and as appealing as it was to the eye it was even better in my belly! This place is warm and inviting, classy with a sense of love and laughter, like being in mom's kitchen. We were there Sunday and are going back tonight, Thursday, for Prime Rib. read more

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The food is delicious and that is what you are paying the pricier menu for. Other than that, it's your typical Ocean County strip mall restaurant...zero ambiance, outdated, and truthfully kind of dirty. I dropped my napkin and the floor under the table was gross. The bathrooms are not clean. Our waitress was great. Portion-size and food were good. However, overall, it's nothing special and won't be returning. read more

FANTASTIC FOOD AND SERVICE Dina & Rich old school make You feel like Family Can't Recommend any Higher read more

Food was excellent, fresh and innovative menu. I had the short ribs and they were delicious, my husband the tuna. Both outstanding. Portions were great. Really enjoyed our meal. Bread was fabulous also. Will be back! read more

Went here last night for a coworkers birthday. It was my first time here and everything was fantastic. I've heard great things about this place, but couldn't find a good time to go. Jesse, Dina, and Rich completely went above and beyond for this celebration. The food was delicious, the service was top notch. Our waitress Shannon was fantastic as was the entire staff that helped out. I will definitely be back! read more

Dina's Bistro - Filet mignon - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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Food was just so-so, not bad but not Great. Calamari app. was pretty good but a very small portion. Pasta Bolognese was not good at all - jmo. Friends had the Prime Rib and it was very chewy. Another had the scallops over lobster risotto and that was pretty good. Quaint little place, owner is very nice but the food was average at best - so many other places around that are better - don't think we will be going back.................... read more

Just to set the background, my wife and I have been to this restaurant many times and chatted frequently with the owners (an elderly couple and their son) when there, it was always a pleasant experience and the food was good. However, last night we were astonished at the food I was served. I ordered the "weekend special" - Rigatoni Pasta, which included shrimp, crab meat, and other ingredients.I received my meal and as I started to eat it, I noticed that there was no crab meat, but instead was "imitation crab" on my plate. You know the long white "meat" with the bright orange/red color on the surface of it. It's actually made of certain types of processed fish for those not familiar with it. I informed the waitress of this and she informed the owners (the waitress looked at the fake crab meat and was shocked). The owners son came to the table and asked how everything was, I informed him that instead of crab meat I got imitation crab and showed him a pile of it on my plate. He said it was real crab meat and not fake. Just an FYI, my family was in the seafood business for 4 generations in Elizabeth, NJ, so I know what real crab meat is and we never ever sold imitation crab. The sons father then came to the table stating what I was served is real crab meat and he had in his hand a 1 lb can of crab meat to prove they serve real crab. I told him to open the can right on the spot to see what it looked like vs what was on my plate, he refused and ran back into the kitchen with disgust on his face. BUSTED. Then his wife came over and was clearly frustrated at me for making a fool out of her husband and commenced yelling at me that I got real crab, not fake. BE CAREFUL OF WHAT RESTAURANTS CLAIM IS REAL AND IN FACT ITS NOT! Sorry but I won't be back. DINERS BEWARE! read more

We have had great meals at Dina's since their opening. Especially since we heard the chef from Cathy's went there. Tonight my husband and I both had the special Veal chop marsala with linguine. I was excited because I love marsala. Also asked for garlic & oil for the linguine. The veal chop was delicious but didn't taste any marsala wine, instead tasted like chicken broth with "diced" mushrooms! The garlic over linguine was just sauteed, not as it should be. Guess what, we were charged an extra $6.30 for the garlic/oil!! Are you kidding me! Sorry but don't think we'll be going back Definite change the last few times we were there. Very sorry as this was a favorite in Toms River. read more

Pricey but good amount of food but not what good is that when it's not tasty and dry. And when the salad is the best part of the meal it's not worth it . And I'm being generous with 3 stars read more

I went in Friday night for dinner and tried the steak this time and was impressed that they are putting out such a high caliber of food here. Wait staff was great and attentive and even got to speak with owners for few min which was nice to see they take and interest in the food that is being served. Feel like family here and go above and beyond to make your meal the best it can be. Infill def be back for another visit in near future. read more

Dina's Bistro - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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We celebrated my 70th birthday at Dina's Bistro yesterday. Everyone has been calling me saying how wonderful the food was. Starting with the charcuterie board to the lobster Mac n cheese rolls, bang bang shrimp, antipasto, the veggies, shrimp francaise, chicken parm, penne vodka, caico pepe, among others, it was fabulous!!! The staff were all very attentive, helpful and as nice as can be. We had 45 people for the occasion. If you're looking for a place with great food and service you don't want to miss this one. Glad it's close to me and my friends because they gained more patrons after yesterday. We'll see you again soon! Lynn Melchionna Whiting, NJ read more

Scallops with lobster risotto was fabulous! Service was good as well as ambiance. Stopped in because of reviews I read on Yelp! Glad we did!

My friends took me here tonight for dinner. The place was well lit with a modern vibe. Our server was polite and very good. Our food once ordered came out in a timely matter and was very delicious. It was a really nice dinning experience. I'd highly recommend this place! read more

My husband and I went to Dina's Bistro for dinner 11/1 (first night opened). The restaurant was packed with ppl waiting!! Everything was delicious from the Cesar salad, sausage & peppers stuffed egg rolls & stuffed mushrooms! The Beef Bourgogne was one of the best I've eaten (besides my own) lol which is made without a flour roux!! Yay, I have Celiac Disease (gluten allergy). Hands down everything was so tasty and made with love. I was very impressed food came out hot and the server was very knowledgeable. Desserts...my husband said the brownies were delish. The pumpkin pie was a hit. They ran out of the cheese cake which I hear is one of the best around so, the next time we go that's on our list to get!! This is a definite go-to place. We will definitely be back!! Congratulations on your new place!! read more

Dina's Bistro - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

A group of eight of us went there for Valentine's Day. We've eaten there before, but this time made a decision for us, no more. They had a special menu for Valentine's Day. The prices were over the top. One of them was $76 for a steak. There was no salad or soup with the meal Everything was priced individually. We were handed dessert, menus with no prices on assuming that it came with the meal, but we were surprised when we got the bill, we were charged for the desserts. They lost 8 patrons. Never to go there again read more

Having read some of the good reviews and being fairly new to the area, my wife and I were really excited to try this local spot. Located off Route 37 in a pretty barren building, other than this restaurant, we walked in to a cozy, warm atmosphere, decorated with pictures and sayings on the wall. We had an early 5:00 PM reservation and we were promptly seated at a very nice table, so everything was going very well. It's a BYOB, and after our waitress, who was very pleasant, opened our bottle, we ordered an app and our mains. Since we love oysters, we started with the Oysters Rockefeller, which looked good, with spinach, bacon and cheese, but the cheese, I believe, gorgonzola, was way too much and way too overpowering which really ruined the flavor of the oysters. We both were not too crazy about them at all. Hoping for better, we moved on to our main courses. Since I usually scope out a menu before I come and always love a good pork chop, I was excited to try the Butterflied Pork Chop with a spinach and sausage stuffing and topped with warm apples. Well, this was by far the worst pork chop I have ever eaten.This pale looking chop had such an odd flavor that I just couldn't eat it. Not sure how this was cooked or with what, but not good. Also I kind of expected the sausage to be ground, but it came in big pieces. The warm apple topping might be the only thing I liked about this dish. As for my wife's dish, she went with the Raviolis stuffed with short ribs. My wife liked this dish and especially enjoyed the authentic gravy. I tried this as well and definitely concurred with my wife. Like I said, we really wanted to like this restaurant and if you see my many reviews, I'd have to be pretty hard pressed to give a bad rating. Actually, 2.5 stars seems more fair here. And even though the owner, who was very nice and came over and chatted with us, I'm still going to have to say this spot might be what my wife and I call a "one and done". read more

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Food was terrible. We used Open Table to reserve this dinner. The owner never checked us in on Open Table, therefore I did not receive the 1000 points for trying this disgusting restaurant. I was emailed that the reservation was cancelled by them. It looks like the owner is only checking people in after he sees how the meal was for the them. What a waste of money? To start the dinner there was food or something in there water they placed on the table. We then had to pay for a bottle of water. Our apps took forever to get. The clams casino was over cooked and tasted like they put just store bought bread crumps on the clams. The Caprese Salad was topped with a balsamic vinegar drizzle that tasted terrible. For the main course, the, Zuppa di Pesce was a mountain of over cooked pasta, rubber calamari, overcooked clams, old tasting muscles. The Chicken Milanese was topped with salad, not arugula, that disgusting balsamic drizzle, and spongy mozzarella. The last diner, had Cacio e Pepe. Simply put it was gnocchi, with stands of linguine, and an Alfredo sauce that made it a soup. Lastly, the waiter was attentive, but if he called us his friends one more time I was going to ask him to pay for this disgusting meal. Avoid! read more

We absolutely love this tiny , hidden gem. The food is always fresh, delicous and the portions a very generous. We always feel welcome and service is great. It is quaint, cozy and relaxing. Its an awesome place for a intimate dinner. read more

I went there two nights ago with my friends. Do not order the Chilean sea bass . At 55 dollars it had no taste and the veggies were so hard I think they just dropped them in hot water for a minute. My partners dish was atrocious. She ordered the Land and Sea, it came with mashed potatoes TOPPED with soggy crab cake, filet mignon and a skewer of shrimp stuck through it all. She had to separate all before eating. It was terrible . read more

The food was amazing and the staff was friendly and welcoming. We went on a Tuesday which is one of their specials night. What a deal! All meals came with a basket of bread (the olive bread was awesome) soup or salad and choice of a delicious dessert. I can't wait to go back. It is a BYOB read more

Dina's Bistro - Stuffed salmon with mashed potato and asparagus. - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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Amazing service. Amazing workers. The restaurant was so nice inside! The food was really good! I will definitely be back again!!

I went there today for a birthday party, the food was fantastic, the atomosphere was family oriented. Dina's Bistro is Toms Rivers best hidden gem! read more

The server was extremely rude and the gentleman that was bringing the food back from the kitchen to the table was rude just throwing the food on the table my girlfriends food was OK after sending it back once but my dish was not edible it was horrible I don't know how you can serve a dish like that I would definitely stay away it's not worth your money and they didn't even care they served food that was garbage read more

Dina's Bistro - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

What a great spot in a very convenient spot-route 37. Comfy atmosphere along with wonderful food cooked to order. The staff are professional and attentive and we loved it including the decaffeinated cappuccino. read more

Dina's Bistro - Happy Easter all! - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

As always the food was fantastic. We were there for Restaurant week, what a bargain, plus BYOB! The short rib with paparadell was delicious and more then enough for another meal at home. The Pork chop was thick tender juicy and just the right amount of seasonings.The deserts were luxurious and fresh, pistachio cake is to die for, an in house specialty. Diana and Rich, owners, always aim to please. The decor is simple, pleasant and welcoming. This is our place to go to for good food and great service and friendly atmosphere. read more

Delicious food. Go-you won't be disappointed Previously was Serenity Cafe. New owners. Don't want to share too much so I can get in there on a weekend read more

Love love love it wow great place the hot pepper stuffed flounder wow got to go there read more

Dina's Bistro - The owners are in the house Dina is killing it and reasonable too - New American Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

Our first visit to Dina's Bistro, last week, will definitely not be our last. From calling for reservations (party of 10) to leaving the restaurant everything went well. Our appetizers, dinners and desserts were more than delicious. Our server was awesome; as well as the owners, who made us feel like family. read more

Food was delicious. Service is friendly. The dining room is comfortable. We went on a Wednesday without knowing they have a fixed price menu which includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. Definitely would go back. read more

Just went last night! 1st time at Dina's. Waitress was very nice and very attentive throughout our dinner. Met the owners and they treated us as we were family. We had apps, salad and 5 entrees. Food was very good and big portions. We will definitely go back! read more

Wow! Dinner was delicious!! I had the stuffed shrimp with lobster risotto. Amazing! Desert was even better! read more

I was there for the first time last week. It was a last minute decision to go have dinner with friends. So glad we found this little gem. Nice atmosphere, good food and really nice people. read more

This restaurant just opened up and the food was excellent. The Meatball with Ricotta app was so amazing. The owner was walking around talking to everyone making it feel so welcoming. This is a must try new place to eat. read more

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We just love Dina's. The owners are so personable. The food is delicious. We go out to a lot of different restaurants and we never have a bad meal. read more