This place is just amazing, me and my husband came here to try a couple of things out and let me just say we ordered the lamb shank, and it was absolutely delightful, cooked to perfection and just overall delicious. I recommend this place! read more

Had my buddy 50th birthday there & it was a surprise food atmosphere dinner dance drink what a great time. But it is about the food for me so salads were great watermelon w/ prosciutto....crisply calamari ....my lamb shank was Devine. Silky smooth delicious everything about this place is awesome just look at my pictures go there take your buddy for his birthday & have a blast w/ some of the best food I've had read more

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i've been to this establishment, many times for lunch, birthday, dinners, etc. they do make your birthday dinner fun they play loud music and put sparkling candles on the table it's definitely A must try if you're in the Montclair area used to be a BYOB I'm not sure if you can still bring wine but they do have a liquor license. Last time we had a delicious bottle of cupcake cellars Chardonnay. The waiters are always pleasant last time we were there. We met one of the owners, the father, and he said him and his wife make the meatballs in the back. Not sure if that's still true, because I hear they're in Florida more often than in the area. They have a good business and it's worthy to give it a try for lunch for dinner, lively atmosphere in the evening a lot of special entertainment evenings. read more

Fresco da Franco - We both had the chicken Milanese very very good definitely try it - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

It's been awhile since I've dined out. One night my gf & I wanted to go out, get dressed, and hear some music while having dinner. Googled restaurants in Montclair and this popped up. Everything from the service, food, and ambiance was perfect. Believe on Saturdays after 8PM or 9PM they play music...so if you're looking for something more "intimate" your best bet is during the weekdays. We had grilled octopus and buttersquash Alfredo w/ smoke salmon. Everything was delicious and taste just right. No complaints! read more

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Came here twice. The first time we had a few mishaps with service and food. This time was much better. The service was good and so was our food and drinks. We started with some cocktail and I had a glass of wine. For starters we got the calamari and a crab cake both was good. Then main we got the 48 hour overnight ribs and the peace fritta with vodka sauce. Everything was good. read more

The food at Fresco Da Fresco is absolutely delicious. Service is excellent, and the decor is exciting. Be sure to stop next-door for a drink at Bar Franco! read more

Had the best time at my fortieth. the food and drinks are great. music and ambiance are amazing !! have been there a few times and will def be back read more

Amazing food. I can taste the freshness of all we ate. I give this place 5 stars Staff was attentive pleasant and friendly. I recommend to my family and friends. My skirt steak was cook to perfection... shrimps were amazing! I didn't know fettuccine can taste so good! And Salmon just melted in my mouth. Yesssss......We all try each other's plate Tiramisu was soooooo good. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Pasta was fabulous!!! The new decor is gorgeous. Great vibe for a birthday dinner, gathering with friends, or even dinner w the family.

I came on a Saturday for an 8:30pm reservation for a friend's birthday. Our table wasn't ready but we only had to wait 15 minutes which was fine since the rest of my dinner party was running late. The hostess was friendly and greeted us right away. The wait service was friendly and attentive. The food was good. I would give the food 4*. To start I had the calamari which was very good. For my meal I had the lamb which was cooked to perfection with the parmesan risotto that was slightly undercooked but full of flavor. The other guests had scallops which were delicious, skirt steak(cooked perfectly)with shrimp. The shrimp was overcooked but flavorful. The highlight of this restaurant is the other dinner guests, the ambiance, the service and the MUSIC!!! There were 6 birthdays and can I say we had one big party. LOL But let me get back to the music and other guests. They played every genre from oldies to current and EVERYONE knew every song. People were dancing (even on chairs) and having a blast. It was one hell of a good time. I didn't want to leave because I was having so much fun. I would absolutely go back again and again and pass the word to a friend. Everything was great. I left happy and damn happy. read more

From the minute we walked in this place was amazing. The ambiance is beautiful, food was delicious, and the staff was attentive and friendly. Highly recommend the cacio e Pepe arancini and the rigatoni Amatriciana. Went with a group of girlfriends and after dinner we headed to the bar for another delicious cocktail! Food, drinks, vibe was all fabulous! Will definitely be back! read more

The service is impeccable, and the food is very good, and the best quality. The calamari and fettuccine Cartoccia were my favorites. BYOB is great too. It's a little on the pricey side, but the ambiance (including a decorative Vespa) make it worth it. read more

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Totally delicious. Best oysters ever! Excellent Bellini and burrata. Comfortable outdoor seating with lovely flowers by the tables. A perfect day at a perfect Italian restaurant. read more

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I have never dined at Fresco for dinner, but had been there for lunch about 4 years ago. My review is for a dinner reservation for 2 on a Saturday night. I had no problem making the reservation same day for 7pm. There is no valet, so be aware when you are coming for your reservation to leave time for parking. There is a garage working walking distance in which I parked. The ambiance is trendy. Very loud, but good music, not the best place for a romantic date but a great establishment for a party with friends and family. The space is a nice size, not too big or too small, which lend itself to good service. Our waiter was very nice and helpful with recommendations. My friend and I shared the traditional burrata appetizer. The eggplant caponata was excellent, I actually wish there was more! And there could have been more greens with the burrata, a little small to share between two people but it was yummy. For dinner I had the pesce alla fresco. They were happy to accommodate me, allowing me to not have my entree over pasta but with a side vegetable instead. The sauce the fish was cooked in was excellent. However, for $40 I would have expected a larger dish. The restaurant also charges $9 for a bottle of sparking water. When I saw the check I thought that was a little outrageous. Overall the food was very tasty and the service was good and attentive. I liked the fun ambiance and the sparklers that would come out periodically to commemorate the special occasions being celebrated. The restaurant even offered me a bag to carry the wine bottle we didn't finish in (nice touch!). read more

Fresco da Franco - Pesce Alla Fresco - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Extremely rude and dirty with unprofessional workers and subpar food. Do not recommend at all, unless you want underwhelming food and to have to deal with restaurant host and hostesses who think they work for Zero Bond in Manhattan. read more

Fresco da Franco - Dirty table - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Came here for Sunday brunch and drinks. Our server, Freddy, was very helpful and on top of everything. The food was AMAZING. The mushroom risotto was creamy and flavorful--and I don't care much for mushrooms but this is it and I'll get it again. The chicken and waffles were great too. I was skeptical but honestly, the breading was fantastic and the meat was tender. Love! read more

Okay so this review is going up and not coming down so to the owner please don't harass me. I gave you a month to make it right and I was left hangin. Anywho, went to have my anniversary lunch at this place last month and it was an awful time. Made the reservation online and informed of the reason for our outing so we got there for opening and there was no one in the restaurant except for us and a large birthday party. They say us next to the very loud and obnoxious table who kept screaming. Then when the food came out they let it sit there because the server wasn't paying attention to us, so I had to ask them to please bring me my food. It didn't taste good, at all but they took it, basically untouched and still charged me for it. Towards the end of the lunch, after a prolonged period of abandonment from our waiter, someone came to us and asked if we wanted to be moved away from the large loud group. I was baffled because if this individual noticed us being uncomfortable that means they did nothing for us through our whole meal. I scoffed and we paid the bill, tipped unfortunately, and left to get food at Cuban Pete's. Will not be returning and do no recommend anyone go there. I left this review a month ago and the owner frantically reached out to me via text and call to ask me to please take off the review and apologizing for my experience, offered a refund and a $50 gift certificate, fine I understood since he said he was out on vacation and his number 2 was out that day. I agreed, it's been a month and haven't heard anything from him. I reached out again to ask about the refund and the owner explained to me that he was on vacation last time we spoke but now he was getting married? Confusing but overall, that tainted my experience more. I have texts and emails to prove this. Our experience was terrible. read more

Fresco da Franco - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Nothing wrong with the food or cocktails. Beet/carrot and fig salads were very good, clam appetizer very tasty. Veal chop parmesan, fish entree, zuppa di pesce all good. Our problem was with the service, which was very, very slow. They were obviously short on servers -- approximately one and a half waiters taking care of the entire indoor area, which was busy (and noisy) on a Saturday night -- and the kitchen would probably benefit from additional personnel as well. Our other problem was the New York prices for basic Italian food. I get that they're on Church Street and their overhead is probably ridiculous -- but with so many other Italian restaurants in the area with comparable menus at half the price, I don't see the attraction. Parking is also a problem on Church Street -- they have a valet, if you want to make your evening even more expensive -- or you can park a few blocks away and walk. Suggest sitting outside, if weather permits -- cooler and quieter. read more

Wonderful dinner! The ambiance, music service, our food! Excellent! We'll definitely go back!

This place was awesome. The entree I had orders wasn't all that great. Spaghetti w/lobster. Lobster was cut into little tiny pieces like It was ordered for a child and covered with aluminum foil ‍ didn't understand the logic behind it. But entertainment was great. Place its inviting. Service was on point. Prices it's ok. Will go again but just for the entertainment and drinks byob. read more

Everything from the food, service and whole atmosphere of the restaurant was simply divine. The food was absolutely exquisite from the appetizers to the main course. The service was very accommodating, especially our servicer Jay. Super polite and friendly. Our family was fortunate to listen to their live music on a Monday and everything was fantastic. 10/10 out of everything. read more

There is both the good and the not so good here, but net net it's 3 stars. Let's start with the good. First it's open late on weekdays and weekends. Too many Montclair restaurants close early. They are doing outdoor dining with heat lamps which is a huge plus. However. They could be positioned a bit better or maybe they need more. The servers seem to really try. And finally, the menu is fairly diverse. For the not so good - the food is average. We ordered two appetizers including a salad, a fish main, and a pasta main. The salad (mais) was pretty tasty, the rest was nothing more than average. When the supposedly hot food got to us it was a touch above room temperature. Also, some of the dishes we had were combinations of hot and cold food. I'm sorry I just don't like that style, I rarely see it so I'm wondering if this is a mistake by the kitchen/chef or maybe I'm missing something. In the disappointing space - the eggplant parmigiana- which is some of the best I ever had is off the menu. Not sure why in the fall you take something like eggplant parm off the menu. I ordered the eggplant stack in its place and it was nothing special and had that hot/cold combo I mentioned above. I may or may not go back, but I'll look elsewhere for the time being. read more

Had brunch here with friends this morning. Although there was only one other table seated when we arrived for our reservation, we were not offered drinks until we stopped the waiter and asked about 15 minutes after sitting down. Drinks were slow to arrive and be refilled throughout the meal. After being seated for 30 minutes, our waiter came by additional menus with the day's specials, then promptly disappeared again. The food was good but varied widely in terms of quantity. The breakfast calzone was monstrous: a good foot long. Eggs Benedict came with a side of home fries, while the vegetarian benedict special came with no side. A side of pancetta was crispy and well sized in a small bowl perfect for sharing. Overall, good food in an atmosphere that wants to be much more than it is. read more

Fresco da Franco - Daily special: grilled portabella mushroom, garlic spinach, poached eggs, and hollandaise. - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

I wandered into this Restsurant on a rainy Monday afternoon in late October. I was greeted immediately and told to sit wherever I choose. I chose an ideal spot next to the window and was entertained by the local workers who were heading to various lunch destinations in this "Church Street" area. I ordered a glass of Riesling, along with a Buratta salad and plain margarita pizza. The waiter was accommodating in regards to the order my items would come out and when. He also checked up with me during my meal an appropriate amount of times. I will check back during a busy dinner time. read more

Fresco da Franco - Lunch time. - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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I wanted to love this place. If there was a 2.5 star option that's what I would have gave this place. It has the ambience that I usually go to nyc for ... but the quality of food is just not great. You can't claim to give "the ultimate time dining experience" but then deliver a mediocre experience. I ordered the truffled eggs - without the pancetta. I expected it come with a small salad or something more than just eggs ( which were good, a tad bit more well done than my liking but they were still good) and a tiny piece of bread. I asked for a side salad to substitute the pancetta- they didn't do substitutions... totally fine, I'll buy a side salad. This basic house side salad took more than 20 minutes to come and by then my eggs were cold. The service isn't bad... but it also isn't great. There are better places in the area, with better food, and better service. read more

We considered this place as 3 1/2 stars. First of all, we got there at 5:30 without reservation and more than 1/2 of seat were empty. 1- The hostess told us, let me squeeze you in. Unfortunately, she gave us the seats which the sun was on our eyes and refused to give other seats as she claimed it was reserved. 2- the service was slow 3- the server was very professional and courteous 4- the food which we ordered, corn salad and octopus as appetizers and salmon, lamp as main course plus desert and coffee were delicious. 5- price was reasonable. See the photos read more

Wonderful experience tonight!! Impeccable service and the food was so authentic and really fresh. Definitely a must do if you're in the Monclair area it's BYOB so get a nice bottle of red wine from across the street at the wine store. read more

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My second visit to Fresco da Franco took place on a Wednesday evening as opposed to their more lively and crowded Friday night when I first dined. The vibe on a Wednesday was more low key and offered my sister and I a nice, slow paced evening. Service was gracious and attentive. The menu is on the smaller side but there were some interesting specials. Appetizer: Eggplant tower- crispy eggplant, not greasy and nice presentation Entrees: Linguini with shrimp/spinach in a light cream sauce- this was a special and very tasty. Skirt steak and shrimp- steak was cooked rarer than requested but still a nice dish- the meat was a tender and delicious Dessert: Cannoli- very good I do like the fact that Fresco Da Franco is byob and located on a very charming street in Montclair. Worth a visit when in the area. read more

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The best Italian spot in Montclair! It is BYOB but they do have a setup with a nearby liquor store so you can order wine and they will deliver it to you. We started with the grilled octopus, it was cooked to perfection. The CB octopus was tender and juicy and had an amazing amount of flavor. The calamari was seasoned very well I just felt like it was a tad over cooked but it didn't stop me eating it all. The lamb shank was falling off the bone and tasted amazing. The seafood fra diavolo was very good as well (it's a little spicy). Ended the night with cheesecake and cannoli's which were ok. I was mainly here for the entrees. read more

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We had a reservation and celebrating a birthday. Got to the restaurant and we stood waiting for 20-25 minutes. No one greeted us or asked if we had a reservation while other patrons who came behind us were spoken to and led to their tables. Once we finally were seated at a table comfortably and ready to order we were asked to move for a larger group so that they could place another table with ours to accommodate them who they said had a reservation. We declined the move which would have made our seating uncomfortable AND we were already settled and about to order. We were then rudely given the ultimatum to either move or leave. So our group left and will never patronize or recommend this restaurant again EVER. Too many other wonderful restaurants in Montclair to enjoy that have impeccable service, ambiance and food. read more

I have not been back here in a long time. I decided to have Sunday night dinner with my kids here and it was a disappointment. The service should had been more attentive since it wasn't full of customer (we were the third table with people). The food lacked flavor and better choices. The decor of the place is always great but I wouldn't come back to it. read more

Fresco da Franco - Dinning room - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

Had I know it was a spot for plastic surgery women and their 3 year olds ( ok this is so sad) to drink and party like babes who think they are the next Jersey housewives... 30 bucks for a small wad of pasta in tin foil???? Wtfffff.... Overpriced food beyond !!! Bland tuna tartar....dude really? A big LOL and never in my life . I should have just thrown 75 bills down the sewer. But!!! The servers were so sweet Place is a joke ... oh hey it's like so NOT SOBE but again everyone was sooooo 15 years ago read more

We, three, women had a celebratory dinner at Fresco da Franco and were blown away by the attention to service. Brian and Rich answered our culinary questions and observed our indecisiveness on making choices among the many options. So....Brian exceeded our expectations by delivering both options (even the not ordered option) Wow, when does that ever happen! All of our dishes were prepared well: strawberry with buratta, 2 salads, meatballs and octopus-so good! We will certainly be back! Thank you Brian and Rich for making the night so special! read more

Food and cocktails are amazing. The process that ensues trying to get it completely ruins the experience. I arrived early at 7 to have drinks at the bar. My 7:30 reservation didn't sit until nearly 8:30. We ordered pasta dishes and a desert and left at 10:10. The staff could have cared less. I didn't see my waiter after he forgot to submit our order. 3 hours for pasta desert and an attitude. read more

Disappointing. The eggplant was under cooked and the "fresh" mozzarella tasted processed. None of the vegetables tasted fresh. Which might be ok except they were also under-seasoned making the whole dish rather bland. The salad, for some reason, had a blanket of provolone cheese on top of it. Which added nothing to the dish but was, thankfully, easily removed. The risotto had the consistency of lumpy glue. The service seemed like an after thought. The other patrons were quite loud and the house added to the ambiance with the volume and choice of music. Positive elements included the bread which tasted fresh and had nice flavors. The choices of wine seemed well thought out and we enjoyed our selections. The scallops, while a little over cooked, were prepared within reason. Our bus boy was on top of his game and should be promoted to server. The restaurant has a great location in a great community. My advice would be to rethink the menu to focus on fresh (in-season) ingredients and fresh pastas. Refine the cooking techniques so that plated dishes have the appropriate doneness. Increase the focus on service. Finally, if you are going to have a full bar, print a bar menu for guests to choose drinks from. This will be better than making guests guess what brands you have or forcing servers to shuttle back and forth to find out. read more

Honestly if I could give this negative stars I would. The drinks were alright not $16 worth. Service was okay we had two different servers though so that was odd. You pay half of your salary for a very tiny plate of food, so if you're really hungry I'd eat before coming here. My friend also got her pasta wrapped in tin foil how aesthetic for $36.. way too over priced for mediocre food and a small menu. But hey if you want two scoops of risotto on 5 shrimp for $36 this is your place. I will never come back here. Went to Wendy's after cause we were still starving.. read more

Great pasta and salad. Everything taste fresh! Staff was pleasant Nice vibe! Bathrooms were clean and so chic. Closes at 11 I will be coming back. read more

Don't skimp on Brunch !!! Hands down worth the hour drive from Manalapan for me !!!! I have tasted a lot of shakes and trust me many are toooooooooo sweet to even finish. These were absolutely yummy and that's not taking the food into consideration. Everything made at Franco Da Franco is family made !!!! His parents are on location to greet and make sure your experience is 100% - nothing like it. If you fancy local grown products and treats from Italy's best - you are in the right place. Bravo - Franco and family !!!! May I add that the service was impeccable!!!! Congratulations Franco - read more

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Average Italian food. A lot of the options on the menu were seafood. Being a pasta lover, I was not thrilled by having only a few choices on the regular menu. The specials menu was a bit more pleasing to me, with options for us non seafood lovers such as gnocchi bolognase. They serve "bread" at the start of the meal, but it's really more like hard breadsticks. Not the soft, delicious semolina bread you're used to getting at italian places. When my gnocchi arrived to the table, I was disappointed by the small portion size and huge basil leaves on top. Overall, the gnocchi was good, but nothing to write home about. Service was good, with the server refilling our waters and pouring our wine for us. No offer of extra bread however. I will say that the interior and ambiance here is nice. There are plenty of tables, both indoor and outdoor. Parking is also not far. Overall, if you're looking for Italian food, there are many other options in the area that are a better value. While Fresco Da Franco's isn't terrible, it would not be a top pick for me. read more

Fresco da Franco - Italian Near Me - Montclair, New Jersey

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Food is still solid. After 9pm on a Saturday and it as loud and flashy as a club in there. Beware if you are looking for a quiet dinner go much earlier in the night. read more