Old school Italian feel inside, unassuming from the outside. Pictures of employees and patrons of the past let you know there's some cool history in here. No hats allowed so do your hair :) Had the occobucco and wife tried the branzino. BYOB so bring your favorite bottle. Service is attentive and welcoming. Had a great experience and meal. My friend got the chicken Parm which looked like your typical classic. Everything was delicious and not too crazy expensive which I appreciated. read more

I Gemelli Ristorante - Italian Near Me - South Hackensack, New Jersey

We came across this place on Google while searching for Italian food in the Bergen County area and stumbled across a upon a true neighborhood gem. The menu isn't massive, but they cover every category with extreme precision and do it really well. Seafood, pasta, veal, chicken, and all the classic appetizers you can think of from stuffed artichokes, zucchini blossoms, and house-made burrata. The ambiance is old-school Italian in the best way: timeless, romantic, and cozy. It works just as well for an intimate date night as it does for a small group dinner. Bonus points for being BYOB. We ordered the veal marsala and the seafood pomodoro. The veal was pounded to perfection and swimming in a ridiculously addictive sauce. The seafood pasta was cooked perfectly and loaded with fresh shrimp, clams, and mussels and you can taste the quality and care put in the food. Meals are served with a salad to start, and you can expect to spend around $35 per entrée, which feels more than fair for the quality. We were genuinely impressed and were treated with a lot of attention throughout the meal. The concept of the restaurant being run by two italian twins was honestly so sweet. Highly recommend if you're looking for classic Italian done right without trekking into the city. read more

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Food and service is excellent Very expensive plus a charge for using a card. One question i had since my mother was italian and i looked forward to Sunday dinner at home, my favorite was the braciole. When i asked the waiter why they don't serve it, he didn't know what it was ??? read more

Had another wonderful dinner! Vegetable soup was on the menu and while it was made with chicken stock, the owner, Luigi, said no problem! I can make it with vegetable stock! It was delicious as was the rest of the meal. They are extremely accommodating with offering foods to fit your diet and you don't have to feel awkward requesting something or tweaking something on the menu. The food is freshly made to order and worth the visit! read more

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I Gemelli is a quaint, local Italian spot in South Hackensack. They serve all the classic Italian dishes and have homemade pasta specials. The prices are about $35 for a meal but the portions are large and come with a salad. Most entrees also come with vegetables of the day. We had the pork osso bucco, veal marsala, and eggplant parmigiana. Then we got the tiramisu for dessert. It was clear that every dish was fresh and high quality. The veal melted in my mouth and the tiramisu had the freshest cream taste with a nice heavy dose of espresso flavor. The waiters were fantastic, providing recommendations and constantly checking on the table. The place is BYOB and they do not charge a corking fee. read more

I Gemelli Ristorante - Eggplant Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - South Hackensack, New Jersey

We went early expecting it to be quiet but there was a definite 5pm rush. The food was good. We had fried calamari, fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese, and a stuffed artichoke. The stuffed artichoke filling was a bit more wet than I am used to but it was still good. We had tortellini bolognese which was excellent and a stuffed chicken with cheese and mushroom in a masala sauce that was tastey. It was nice that the dinners came with salads. The bread was good and the staff was nice. Portions were big. The ambiance was very homey. read more

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One of the last of a dying breed in NJ; the authentic Italian founded & still running old school Italian restaurants where you'll get a Bon Giorno sometimes when entering. Onsite parking and experienced, friendly staff. Although on a recent Thursday night service was slow. BYOB! The food is very typical with a few options you don't see at all Italian places. Good food, very good portions. Prices went up after a long hold out and are more in line with what else is out there. I find this not my favorite for Italian food but it didn't stay open all these decades without being good. Apps..... --Stuffed artichoke ( a special) was a very good version. Not too much breadcrumbs. Well balanced ingredients. NOTE: the waiter said it was for 2 people; never heard that before with this dish. It's plenty for sharing but I wouldn't say for 2. --Portabello Griglia: grilled portabello mushroom over thinly sliced potatoes served hot drizzled with EVOO was excellent. Small house salads come with these entrees. Entrees......both very good and large portioned. --Gamberi alla Toscana con Funghi: grilled shrimp over Tuscan style beans with fresh sage, spinach, mushrooms, with EVOO --Pollo Saporito: sauteed chicken chunks with sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives, pignoli nuts with EVOO ( although the nuts were really not too evident) We added a side of sauteed broccoli rabe which was very good, not bitter and enough for 2+ diners. We split a cannoli with coffee & espresso; Overall a very solid, professional place with good authentic Italian food. read more

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Coming for casual Sunday dinner as family has mood for traditional Italian pasta. Decor is very old and service is fair. We order the classic angel hair with seafood, chicken Parmesan with linguine and gnocchi. All dishes are subpar but charge like fine dining. The surprise of the evening! read more

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Hidden gem! Very good Italian food. I have come here a handful of times for lunch with coworkers. The food is consistently good as is the service. I ordered the chicken Parmesan most recently and it came with a side of spaghetti. We were each given a salad to start and I had a cappuccino before leaving. Everything was good. Note: my coworker allowed me to try the crab spaghetti dish he ordered and it was even better than the chicken parm. Very very good! read more

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Probably one of the best rigatoni alla forno I've had EVER. The sauce is undoubtedly the star of the show, pasta cooked al dente, baked to perfection. I would order this as my last meal on earth (if it came to that). Old school, no frills, delicious and comforting -- the way good food should be. In this modern world, it's nice to sit back in a cozy place where authenticity shines bright and all other chaos dies down except the good people and food in front of you. BYOB -- so put that in your pipe and smoke it! read more

I Gemelli Ristorante - Italian Near Me - South Hackensack, New Jersey

This place is just still the absolute best restaurant around. For some reason it just blows every other place out of the water. I don't mind paying a little extra for excellent food. It really just is top quality, and the service is just amazing too. read more

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The restaurant is elegant and comfortable. The food is up to the restaurant's standards and very delicious, authentic Italian cuisine. The seafood is very fresh, the pasta is springy and chewy, and the chicken is tender. I ordered GAMBERI POMODORO ($34), POLLO PAR ($30), and GNOCCI VODKA ($35). I don't know why the GNOCCI was more expensive than the seafood and chicken. I feel a bit ripped off. read more

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A+ great food, great atmosphere, great service, great vibe, great dessert dishes, great fun with great friends, BYOB, which is always perfect Delicious specials ! read more

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Unbelievable food service and ambience. The staff is top notch and I wouldn't give that much credit unless it was clearly experienced.

Charming local BYOB Italian restaurant known for its authenticity. The food was awesome, I had the black ink linguini with crab and mushrooms in a light white sauce--generous portions made it even more satisfying. My friend had the seafood pasta with white beans, also delicious. The fried calamari were a standout, perfectly light and not greasy. The tiramisu was very good, definitely tastes homemade. I would visit again. read more

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Did take out. Friendly service. Good old school Italian. Older decor. A bit pricey.

Food was very good and ambiance was fine. However, the service was awful with two waiters and a host helping. I was with two other people and we waited for our water glasses to be refilled several times with the longest wait about 15 minutes. It's not like the restaurant was fully booked. I also asked for a dessert menu, which took about 15 minutes before another waiter came and verbally told us what was available for dessert. The only part of the service that was fast was from the time we ordered to the time the food came out. Although we left a little more than 20% tip, that was being too generous given the poor service. If it wasn't for my friends, I would have left 10%. read more

I Gemelli Ristorante - Not sure what this special was but it was good...had split prawns with pasta, linguine I think. - Italian Near Me - South Hackensack, New Jersey

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Visited this place few times, and not a single item was bad. Started from the bread to the mint at the end, everything was just top notch. Anything from stuffed/regular chicken marsala, chicken parm, different seafood dishes with white wine or vodka sauce, calamari, tomatoes and mozzarella were spot on; and even kids' penne with butter tasted perfect. Service is always amazing. From the point we enter the place, Luigi always greats us with his wide smile. Everyone else who helps us are always on top of their game, and our water and bread were never empty. Lastly, this place makes us feel like dining in the 80's. The restaurant is maintained well, and gives us the feeling of old italian place. This is my to-go Italian place in the area for sure. read more

I came here with some coworkers to celebrate my promotion. We made a reservation in advance. The place is kinda small with lots of tables so it feels cozy (or cramped, depending on how you see it haha) The service was great and the food was AMAZING. I got the squid ink pasta which was one of the specials for that day, I don't know if they offer it regularly (it's not on their menu). The waiter listed off a bunch of the daily specials off the top of his head, which was impressive but also I wish they would just have a printout of all the options so I can take my time to consider what I want. But maybe the daily specials change constantly so it'd be a waste of paper to do that? They could alternatively update a website daily and just have a QR code. The place is BYOB and there's a place down the street next to the 7-Eleven with a huge selection of wines. I look forward to coming back here with friends and family. Also seems like a nice date spot. read more

Great service. Amazing food. Cozy restaurant. Best Italian food spot in Hackensack. Have been going there for years!

The food is truly excellent, as is the service. I have not had a less than delicious meal there. HIghly recoomend

Must admit that I'm missing what the hype is all about. Gemelli's is good but for me, easily not worth a 5 star review. Atmosphere: - The restaurant is a small converted house, or so it feels, with a small private parking lot. The inside has a classic Italian restaurant feel from the decor to the table settings. Kudos on this category. Service: - The service is above average. On the night we went the restaurant was quite full and have at least half a dozen reservations starting in an hour and a half from when arrived. We were lucky enough to get a table with an agreement that we'd be out by a certain time. - The waitstaff checked on us a frequently and was knowledgeable of the menu. They were attentive and swapped out our plates in a very timely manner which was much appreciated. Food: - I contemplated deducting 1 or 2 stars for the food. The food was ok. We got the calamari, arugula salad eggplant and chicken parmesan, the truffle seafood special, and tartufo. None of these dishes were exceptional. - Calamari and truffle seafood special: The biggest disappoints of the night and every piece of seafood we tried was overcooked and tough. It was not lacking in flavor, but clearly overcooked. - Eggplant and chicken parmesan were good but nothing I'd rave about. It stands up to other restaurants in the area but doesn't outshine them. - Arugula salad: One work - boring. It was arugula, onion, and dressing. A little cheese, sliced carrots, something, anything would have gone a long way. - Tartufo: Everything I'd hoped it to be. Overall, I was not impressed. read more

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I love this small intimate restaurant and consider it one of Bergen County's best kept secrets . BYOB excellent menu with Italian classics and fresh seafood! read more

It was raining all day long. Forget the Mets game ( got rained out twice this week on Memorial Day weekend too) where to go for a nice lunch. My friend checked on Google and Yelp for moi. So many Italian restaurants, but which one. Jackpot!!! I Gemelli Ristorante. This was our first time here and the food did not disappoint. You gotta stop by this place. No need to make reservations as we walked in and was welcomed by Luigi. How we know his name? Everyone who walks in as well as those at the tables call his name- Luigi. Feel like watching reruns of Cheer where everybody know your name. This is a traditional Italian restaurant. The decorations and ambiance bring me back to those Classic Italian restaurant or steak house. This place has a BYOB. Will bring bottle of prosecco or champagne the next time around. I Gemelli Ristorante menu covers the gamut. No doubt about it. Your peeps will find something on this menu. Picture on the Menu- The Almalfi Coast- Priceless trip one day on the bucket list. So here goes my review. Why 5 stars? In my book it's an 8 or 9 star. *Service- Luigi and staff very attentive to every table no matter if you a regular or a newbie (first time). They welcomed you and checked in on you asked about the food. The entire staff was like this from serving the food to removing the empty plates. *The food- Hats off to the chef. -Stuffed Artichokes- beautiful presentation. Flavorful with the breadcrumbs. My friend order it for it was something he never had. Took a while to finish and enjoy each morsel. -The Linguine Special- It was like a seafood paella but with out the rice and you had linguine. My friend said the seafood was fresh and enough to share for a party of two. -Veal Piccata- Very good. Pucker up and say butter. -They did not have Tiramisu but went for the Tartufo. Do not forget the Canoli. Your table will definitely get messy with the crusty bread that they start you off with. We left lots of crumbs on the table. Will be back again to try other items (Osso Bucco) on the menu. read more

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Located in South Hackensack, my partner and I have been to this hidden gem numerous times for takeout. The size of the building at "I Gemelli" (The Twins) will fool you and be easily missed if you drive by too fast. The parking is rather limited, so it's a good idea to try to make early reservations, which we did for dinner as first-timers tonight, thanks to our friend, Tracy. Upon entering this cozy family-owned, family-run establishment with 16 tables, we were greeted by the owners, Luigi and Severio, who felt that the two of them very much enjoyed being in the restaurant business and were promptly seated. The menu is extensive, with a wonderful selection of meat, seafood, and pasta, as are the specials. As an appetizer, we decided on one of tonight's specials--the zucchini flowers. As our main meal, we opted for Pollo Alla Parmigiana with a side of spaghetti and Scallopine di Vitello Piccata with Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes. We even saved some room for desserts and got the pistachio cake and key lime pie. Complimentary bread served hot started our meal, followed by a nice house salad. The food is homemade, created with love, flavorful, and delicious. The staff is attentive and works collaboratively to keep things flowing seamlessly. The prices are high, but with the nice portions and the service they provide, it seems worth it. The fact that it is BYOB is simply a plus! We can recommend this place. read more

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An amazing place for real Italian or vero cibo Italiano. A small place but packed with many delicious Italian dishes. Always visit whenever in town. uno dei migliori ristoranti italiani che abbia mai visto. il personale a disposizione è fantastico e sempre pronto a metterti a tuo agio e a soddisfare le tue esigenze, rendendo la tua esperienza culinaria un momento da ricordare read more

This restaurant was amazing. Totally old school. Food was some of the best, service was top notch. My family and I will now always have to enjoy a meal here when we visit! read more

Good food-too expensive for what you get. Fried zucchini app was almost $20-mostly breading. Salmon was ok-undercooked

In response to the owner's comment. So glad this man responded because as you can see this man is very rude. I had two glasses of red wine. He has a problem with being questioned about anything. My friend was not fine with the dish or she would have eaten it and I was not her "hero." She is the type of person who wouldn't even complain if you served her moldy food. I suggested we go to your establishment even though I had doubts after the last time I was there. If you don't want people to bring alcohol because you judge them, then you shouldn't allow it. I forgot to mention another time that you made a rude comment about the amount of alcohol my friends and I brought. Apparently you have an issue with that also. You never seem to have a problem collecting the $1000 check though! Your service is horrible. You did not offer her anything else. She was offered different pasta when she received penne instead of the gluten free spaghetti she ordered. Again this shows the lack of service at your establishment. I'm glad you responded. This way people can see how you disrespect your customers. You have no idea who you are speaking to when you treat people this way and I just hope some day it comes back to bite you in the ass because you would deserve everything you would get in return. Karma is a bitch. No worries. I certainly won't be visiting your restaurant ever again and if I have anything to do with a large party of my friends going there I will do everything in my power to make sure we go somewhere else where we are appreciated. read more

I was getting over a bad stomach virus when I told my husband I was hungry but for Italian food and not just any ole' Italian food I wanted authentic Italian food, he said the best place to get that was Lodi, so I went on a search in the North or East of Garfield and discovered the only restaurant east of Garfield was this restaurant which had four and a half stars. I believe this guy is Italian or at least he sounded like it. I wanted old-world Italian if I could get it, I used to go to Ferraro's when I was in my 20's, and Julio who was the owner, who happened to be from Italy, was an amazing cook, but he passed away, which saddened me. I needed something just exactly like his food. However, I think I might have found my new Italian place to eat. I had the most amazing food from this place and it is only 15 minutes from my house. I had Chicken rollatini, broccoli rabe, and mashed potatoes that were out of this world, I cried when I took the first bite. It was so good, and the food just overwhelmed my taste buds and I got emotional. I wouldn't say I usually do not like creamy Italian salad dressing, but this dressing on the salad was so good I ate the entire thing. I am going back again and again, by the way, this was takeout and I can only imagine what it tastes like to dine in. I will probably cry again because I love really good Italian food. The relationship we have with food is very, important and if you respect food you will never overeat but appreciate the fact that food is an art that is designed to heal your body if you eat it correctly. It is just like everything else, we call art, So respect what you eat and in return your body will thank you for it. read more

I Gemelli Ristorante - I am so happy I have found really amazing Italian food! - Italian Near Me - South Hackensack, New Jersey

More like $$$ then $$. Its very expensive but the entrees are good. We were not too impressed with the appetizers though.

This is a wonderful small family owned Italian restaurant with delicious food and service. BYOB. Make a reservation. read more

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BYOB for starters. Food is phenomenal prepared by an old school italian chef and their uncle. Place is small and very quiet. Selection is amazing and everything is prepared from scratch. Don't be in a hurry. Family owned and ran by the 2 twin brothers. Portions are perfect. Advice is top notch. Must make a reservation. Place is always packed. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. It's a hidden secret. read more

Great restaurant with delicious food. Small, intimate setting for a romantic dinner. Service is professional and friendly. Definitely found a new spot to enjoy an Italian cuisine. read more

I ordered 3 entree dishes and an appetizer of calamari. All of the mains ordered were seafood based and while the flavor was on point the seafood itself was dry. They overcooked they shrimp and lobster leaving me with a disappointed meal. Not good but not great; maybe it was an off day. I most likely will not return any time soon. If we were to void the seafood and rate based on flavor alone. My preference is would be 1) Pappardelle Special with Shrimp and Langoustine. The noodle itself was thick and creamy. I enjoyed every bite. Would suggest you get this one. 2) Black fettuccini with seafood (clams, lobsters, mussels, calamari). This was a lackluster meal. Every thing was too dry. 3) Gamberi Al Pomodoro A Basililo - traditional standard angel hair pasta with tomato sauce. Shrimp was dry. read more

The Bolognese sauce over rigatoni is WORLD CLASS! It's the thing that will guarantee you will be back. I've been there many times with my friends over the years and never been disappointed. The friendly service is second to none. It's Byob and there's a liquor store 1 block away. Try it, you will be a can like me. read more

Wonderful cozy BYOB family owned. Food is incredible, incredible. Have been going here for years and years and have NEVER had a bad meal. Only tricky part is parking lot is small, however there is plenty of street parking near by. read more

This is a staple for me. It's small but has a great environment. The menu is pretty short, but if you like the classic Italian dishes you'll be fine! read more

I was there with my family for dinner. They overcharged us , and didn't even care to inquire about it. We were brushed off and they hung up the phone. We decided to call them afterwards so we do not cause a scene in public. Also , my nephew ordered chicken fingers and French fries. One chicken was COMPLETELY RAW! The prices on our bill and the menu had a BIG difference. They completely ROBBED us. There was no specials menu with prices or anything. We ordered normal pasta dishes with seafood, or chicken. And also had like 2 fish dishes. Their most expensive item on the menu is $29. I am DISAPPOINTED and I feel LIED to and also ROBBED. Keep in mind this restaurant is BYOB and we had no alcohol from them. How can the bill be $1200??!! Yes we had 11 adults but like I said we had regular pasta dishes and some fish. Dessert and coffee. I understand paying but my point is that the prices on my bill were DOUBLE. Please someone give me some advice , I need a resolution , at least my $500 back. They need a consequence! Also one person in my family had 1 decaf coffee. He charged us for 5. We got ROBBED !!! They're stealing money!! This isn't little money, this is a lot. You can look at my bill and you will see what I mean!!! I have reported to BBB! read more

I really like this restaurant. I've ordered twice while staying at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights. The seafood salad is very light and fresh tasting. This week I had a really nice dish - chicken with sautéed spinach topped with prosciutto and cheese in a lemon garlic butter sauce. It arrived with a roll of fresh baked bread. Very good! read more

I Gemelli Ristorante - Chicken with prosciutto and cheese over a bed of spinach - Italian Near Me - South Hackensack, New Jersey