An excellent way to ring in my Womb Exit Anniversary. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality brought me here last Sunday for a birthday dinner. I picked it knowing the solid rep of Jessica's Cafe in Plainfield, so I can't say I was stunned to find out this was awesome - but given the expectations coming in, this probably even slightly exceeded them. Pretty cool. This was literally my first time in Fanwood, unless you count taking the Raritan Valley Line through here to Hunterdon County back in the day (I don't think it counts). The weather was a little iffy throughout the day, which I'm assuming played a factor in the town feeling a little desolate when we showed up. It reminds me a lot of the Newport neighborhood in JC - super, super gentrified. Maybe it's just the section where Jessica's is though, right across the street from the train station. We parked over there, not entirely sure if that was naughty or not, but given our outdoor seating, we easily could have peeped a cop or tow truck driver before anything terrible happened (I think it was fine, given it was a Sunday night). All that to say though, I'm not entirely sure where the ideal parking is if it's not at the train station. We were only in the restaurant for a minute (enough time to ogle a fridge or freezer of tasty looking meat to the right of the entrance), so I can't speak to the spiffiness of the interior. Even though rain was a possibility, it seemed worth the risk to stay outside due to the temps and large umbrellas. No regrets in that regard. We were seated promptly and ordered shortly thereafter, while also receiving some decent bread and butter with a bit of olive oil drizzle. Quite tasty. Somehow it's become an informal tradition, but if it's on the menu we usually get the Grilled Octopus. One of the better ones we've had. Nice and crispy (texture to me is the key to this one) and seasoned well. The accompanying potatoes were a nice touch to the proceedings - would totally get this again. A lot of the other apps looked good too, but someone accidentally made me birthday weenies on the grill earlier, so I couldn't get QUITE as frisky as I normally would. Both of us gave the lamb a long, hard look (and my chum wondered aloud about the ribeye special for the rest of the evening - possibly the one that got away) but I ultimately went with my classic Short Ribs entree. Delicious. Tender, flavorful and the perfect serving size. I was a little nervous that a puree versus mashed would mean the potatoes were too wet or liquidy, but not the case at all - they maintained their relatively solid integrity as far as I was concerned. I forgot to take a picture of dessert, but I got the Creme Brule. Also excellent, and at the perfect temp. I think there may have been a birthday musical accompaniment with that, but it's all a blur. Arguably just as good if not better was the service. Our waiter was super personable and professional, stopping by regularly and just added a hospitable touch to the meal that brought this to the upper echelon for me. Service is king, and it matters - you can't take for granted the ability of your server to essentially riff for two minutes on their menu knowledge, as well as just good-natured banter. Had that in spades. Coming back for sure - Womb Exit Anniversary or not. read more

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Jessica's is a beautifully designed restaurant serving a continental menu. Our party of four started with perfectly prepared grilled octopus, and an order of mussels. Our entrees were the fettuccine seafood mix, the short ribs, and filet mignon. All were delicious and ample portions. Service is impeccable as servers are polite and friendly. There is ample parking behind restaurant in a parking lot. read more

Jessica's Restaurant - Dining room - Italian Near Me - Fanwood, New Jersey

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Union County! As someone who recently moved to this area and always looking to try new places I luckily ran into this location. The ambiance here is amazing and inviting. The staff is always very friendly and accommodating. My boyfriend and I frequent here very often that one server took note he doesn't eat pork and took the time to let us know what we had picked contained pork. They are BYOB and are always willing to chill your drinks and bring ice buckets. I love their food specials and in house made items. Jessica's is always one of my top recommendations! read more

I've never had a bad meal here, both for dine-in or delivery. This time, we were fortunate with perfect weather and were able to sit outside. Though the ambiance of being streetside and across the street from the train station may not be for everyone, it was actually quite lovely. We wanted to try a few different things, so we shared and truly enjoyed every bite. The crepes are a must try. Our server and the rest of the staff were attentive and helpful. Just an overall wonderful experience. Though this place is not BYOB, beware they also don't have a full bar. It is wine only and only by the bottle (half or whole). Don't judge the strip mall location, and give this place a try. read more

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Enjoyed an evening for Father's Day tonight. Ambiance was nice and the staff were pleasant. No cocktails, just wine by the bottle (half or whole). Funny thing: drinks menu is on the dessert menu not the main menu. We ordered the grilled octopus to share. It had a good amount of char and was tender. The beet salad was decent, a bit overdressed. The mushroom soup was creamy and strong in flavor (a good thing). For entree, we had the entree size lump crab crepe, braised short rib, filet mignon and seafood fettuccine. Depending on who you asked, everyone preferred their dish over the other. The lump crab crepe had enough crab meat and shiitake mushrooms to be filling, and was served in a satiny cream sauce. The filet was cooked to order and served with scalloped potatoes that had a nice parmesan flavor. The braised short rib was very tender albeit a small portion, served with silky mashed potatoes and baby carrots. The seafood fettuccine has a little kick and ample seafood, like mussels, prawns, scallops and squid. Outside of the menu, they also have prime rib and a tomahawk steak for 2. We finished the evening with their special lemon tart - definitely tart and lemony - in a shortbread crust and 2 orders of molten lava cake with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream. Everything was delicious and we will definitely come back. read more

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Hadn't been to the new location yet, after being a major fan of them at their original location. Had my normal octopus and lobster crepe for crepes. Outstanding as always. For dinner, tried the shrimp rigatoni (ridiculously good) and the ribeye. Steak was good, I just didn't love the sauce. It wasn't bad, I just prefer my steaks seasoned but dry with a lil char and full of flavor inside. Nonetheless I still enjoyed it. Staff provided great service and the new location is in a great spot, well designed, great ambiance, much bigger and pretty easy to find parking. If you haven't been to Jessica's, it's a must do. This gem that was relatively under the radar for years, is now being discovered. But the quality and consistency remains. read more

Jessica's Restaurant - Shrimp Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Fanwood, New Jersey

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My wife and I have been romancing the idea of a trip to Jessica's for months. Are we classy enough? Can our simple palettes appreciate the medley of flavors throughout the menu? We decided it was worth the gamble, and boy did we hit the jackpot. We loved the BYOB option, proudly flaunting local beers while most tables had a bougie bin of ice helping to chill their wines. As we sipped on our own version of bubbly, we started with a couple of delicious appetizers - meatballs and fried burrata. While both were great, the meatballs were the clear winner, served hot in a small cast iron skillet. Moving to the main course, the pasta ragu was another hit. It had a bit of a peppery undertone, but wasn't spicy, just a wonderful blend of spices that gave it a unique flavor. For dessert, I had an apple-based dish that was a special that night. While again another creative showing, I think I'd stick to some of the simpler options on the menu (like a Caramelized banana split - YES PLEASE) read more

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A large sized venue in a retail/business complex. Free parking lot on the backside of the complex. Low lit interior, dark modern decor. Service was fast and friendly. Our server Lumi was very nice and fun. We had the Wood Fired Meatballs, Wild Mushroom Cream Soup, Rigatoni Al Ragu, & Short Rib Fettuccine. Everything was great starting with the complimentary bread. It came warm with a drizzle of melted butter already on it. When the complimentary bread is worth mentioning, you're off to a great start. This is a nice place for a date night without being too over the top. Small menu, that was surprising, but what they have that we tried, they do well. I wouldn't be opposed to coming back sometime and trying their burger. The meatballs were the all-star of our visit. They are incredible! Grades: Wood Fired Meatballs: A++ Wild Mushroom Cream Soup: A Rigatoni Al Ragu: B Short Rib Fettuccine: A read more

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Stopped by to grab some takeout and decided to try the lunch short rib sandwich--with a side of fries, of course! Service was super friendly and quick--my order was ready in no time. I was genuinely impressed by how generous the portion was (especially the fries--so many fries!). The sandwich? Absolute winner. The flavors were spot on, and the bread was soft and seriously tasty. And those fries? Perfectly crispy, no soggy ones in sight! The restaurant itself has a great vibe too--super cute outdoor seating that I'll definitely be coming back to enjoy. Their menu looks amazing, and I'm already eyeing a few other dishes to try next time! read more

Jessica's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Fanwood, New Jersey

Lovely food and great service! Atmosphere was cozy and inviting. Everyone that worked there was awesome! Highly recommend

I continue to love the food, the service and everything else about this place. It is always my first suggestion when asked where I want to go out to dinner. Many of my friends feel the same way. My favorites are the White Mussels and the Pork Chop. Last night I had outstanding Soft Shell Crabs. I recently had their meatball appetizer. I have been fortunate to have had meatballs at Rao's which has generally been acclaimed as "the best ". The meatballs at Jessica's are a close second and I have eaten at many NYC classic Italian restaurants such as Emilio's Ballato, Parkside, and Bamonte's. I need to take more photos of the food but as soon as it arrives at the table, I can't wait to dig in Very pretty restaurant with plenty of parking. Cannot wait to go back again and again. Congratulations and thank you to Armand and Lindy for creating this amazing experience. read more

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We hosted our wedding at Jessica's, and we couldn't have been more pleased. The entire process was flawless and it culminated with a fantastic 4 course dinner on the night of the event. Our guests raved about the food! The whole lead up and prep was easy, staff was great and I would highly recommend read more

This is my second time at the restaurant, but first time at newer location. The new location is beautiful. This time I had to pork chop. It was incredible. The mashed potatoes purée was silky and creamy. The braised cabbage and apples brought that traditional pork chop and applesauce flavor in a new way. Everything together was a great bite. My wife and I both had the cosmo mocktails. They hit the spot. Flavorful and refreshing. My wife really enjoyed the octopus. There were notes of pesto in the sauce beneath. Lastly, the crème brûlée was the perfect birthday dessert. Simple yet perfect. The service was great. They were attentive and let us know timing of all our plates. read more

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Horrible service! Loved his old place so much better than this one . We went for a friends birthday took everyone's order ,everyone's Dinners came out but they forgot one, wait they never put it in !!!! Oh yes and did they say sorry or do anything nope ! Plus the food isn't as good as it use to be either! And it's overpriced omg for what ! read more

Atmosphere is meh... as I have no interest in watching people come home from the train stain. Food is outstanding, albeit a tad small-portioned. Although I do not drink alcohol, not having a cocktail menu is a shame. Service was impeccable. Food and service-wise, the place is quite enjoyable, albeit a tad pricey, but that is their aim- fine dining, and a Scotch Plain Fanwood clientele. Unless you have a boatload of money, it is nice to go there on a special occasion, you will not be disappointed. read more

What an outstanding dining experience this was! We actually attended a special event so they had a special menu but when I say everything was perfect I mean perfect! The octopus was delicious, the burrata salad was unlike any burrata salad I've ever had and so amazing. And the filet mignon was cooked to perfection. Very attentive and friendly service as well. Really outstanding place and I will most definitely be coming back here even though it's a little bit far from me! read more

Stop by over the weekend to have brunch with family and friends. The place has nice welcoming atmosphere. The brunch menu was perfectly what we were looking. A little something for everyone. Some wanted breakfast some wanted burger. The service was incredible. The wait staff were very attentive. Always filling our waters and refilling our teas and sodas. Looking forward to coming back and try their dinner menu. read more

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Excellent 5 Star service and the food mainly fish dishes was superb. A beautiful restaurant, lots of parking and a BYO.

I was disappointed because I ordered short ribs of beef, and I didn't recognize what was served. The taste was unrecognizable and the price was outrageous . read more

We hosted my daughter's bridal shower this past Saturday. It was such an important event for my daughter and she could not be happier with the whole day. Lindy and his team helped set up our decorations and cordoned off a section of the restaurant for our group of ~50 women. It's beautiful on the inside and it gives an "elevated" feel. The food, by all accounts, was "amazing" people were particularly mentioning the salmon entree and the meatball appetizer. People were also very impressed with the service - they were very attentive to everyone's needs When I showed up at the end to help my daughter and wife with gifts, etc. I was served one of the best ice coffees I've ever had. In addition to the day's success - as a lead-up to the day - Jessica's could not have more accommodating. We did not have any special or unique requests but Lindy's attitude was more "how can we make the day special?" As opposed to "these are our rules and you can't blah,blah, blah" I cannot thank them enough for the memories they helped create for my family! read more

I attended a dinner party here and it is always difficult to judge a restaurant based on a party menu. The hosts choose the menu and it is difficult for a restaurant to serve 30 meals at once. I wasn't crazy about the choices or flavor profiles. The Caesar salad was very good. The pork chop itself was cooked perfectly. I did not like the plum sauce or the vegetables that came with it. The chicken dish was not rated highly. The service was very good. The restaurant is decorated nicely and there is plenty of parking. read more

I'm surprised that I didn't review this place when I 1st came to the new location back at Mothers Day 2024. Me and my besties brought our moms there for Mother's Day lunch that week and we all loved it . The mushroom truffle soup was a hit with me and my mom . We also loved the skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and the apricot bread pudding was to die for Our waitress was so sweet , professional and lovely. Actually all the staff was great Love the interior of the new place. Fast forward- I came here this past week and got the mushroom truffle soup YUM. Also tried the short rib sandwich which was good and took home the apricot bread pudding just because I was so full . I definitely recommend this place Lovely experience. It's BYOB by the way read more

Jessica's Restaurant - Cream of Mixed Wild Mushroom Soup - Italian Near Me - Fanwood, New Jersey

Incredibly nice staff. Dishes were very well prepared. Beet salad was refreshing with seasoned grapefruit and beets. Mushroom soup was creamy with a nice truffle touch. The cavatelli short rib pasta was delicious and cooked perfectly. Couldn't tell the difference between this dish and something served at Torrisi. The venison special was good and cooked perfectly. Desserts were pretty amazing as well. read more

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Had bench at Jessica's it's as good as a brunch can get . Almost a 5 star experience . Had the eggs and potatoes dish outstanding . I ate my meal slowly to get a full experience, definitely best breakfast around by far . read more

Jessica's Restaurant - Pan Seared U10 Scallops - Italian Near Me - Fanwood, New Jersey

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New location, same great food and service! So thrilled to see Chef Armen continue his success and welcome guests in a much bigger space that now includes a pretty outdoor area. The staff is very attentive, and detailed. Upon arrival, we were shown to our table yet my eyes wandered to another preferred table and the host noticed my wandering eyes and moved us to our preferred without any hesitation. That's service. The food is still as delicious as I remember it from the first time I visited the other location. I'm sad to see that pizzas are no longer offered. We all thoroughly enjoyed each dish - with a particular love for the crab crepe which was rich without overwhelming you with heaviness. Bring your preferred cocktails and wine and enjoy a leisurely dining experience. Well done Chef and staff! read more

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I visited this dimly lit spot with a seasonal menu and some specials thrown in. The menu had a nice French-Italian fusion vibe. The staff was friendly, and the food arrived quickly. They kicked the meal off with some sliced focaccia. It was not bad. The ends were a bit tough, but it paired well with the mussels and feta salad we started with. We ordered the white mussels ($18) and the watermelon feta salad ($15). The mussels were Prince Edward variety, which were served with shallots, Applewood smoked bacon, fresh herbs, a white butter sauce, and toasted bread. The dish was tasty and had a unique twist; the sauce reminded me of carbonara with its creamy bacon flavor. There were plenty of thick bacon pieces, which could be a bit overwhelming at times. The mussels were small but fresh, and even with the occasional overpowering bacon flavor, it was a solid dish. The salad came with sliced cucumbers, Kalamata olives, pickled red onions, fresh basil, arugula, and a lemon honey dressing. It was well presented, fresh, and the lemon honey dressing was a standout that really brought everything together. For my main course, I had the pasta al ragu ($29). It featured Angus beef, French veal tenderloin, and sweet Italian sausage braised in a red wine and San Marzano tomato sauce. The homemade pasta was definitely noticeable, and the meat was well-flavored. It was clear the sauce had been cooked for a long time, which was great. My only objection was that there were not enough rigatoni pieces for the amount of meat and sauce. I also tried the pan-seared scallops with summer squash, risotto, and lobster sauce. The scallops were huge and perfectly cooked, tasting like butter and pairing beautifully with the risotto. Will I go back? Absolutely. read more

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Absolutely LOVE Jessica's!!! BYOB! New location in Fanwood is beautiful! Service is always spectacular! Food is amazing! The various sauces are each so different and delicious! Ty Chef Armen! My favorite are the mussels! Can't go wrong with anything... mushroom crab crepe, meatballs, pastas!!! Everything we have tried is fantastic! read more

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Absolutely love the new location of Jessica's Restaurant! Such fantastic decor! Love the color scheme! New location But the same amazingly delicious cuisine and service! Our Server Grand Was delightful! Checked in on us frequently. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience. My scallops were tender and flavorful! Hubby's pork chop was so so good! Allow BYOB. This location now serves wine- Limited selection. Parking lot available. Recommend you make reservations. See you soon! read more

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ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! From the incredible staff and servers to the delicious and savory dishes, this restaurant deserves higher than 5 stars!!! I went there last night to celebrate my birthday and whole experience was top notch! I've been to high end restaurants before but have never experienced this level of attentiveness and service before and can't wait to go back! Kiddos to the chef and his team, every single dish that went on our table was incredible! They made my night unforgettable..The scallops, wild mushroom soup, meatballs, the short beer ribs, lamb chops and the deserts ... phenomenal! You can tell each dish is made with love and pride The restaurant interior is a gem! Cozy and very inviting. Jessica's restaurant now has a patron for life! read more

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This place was 5-stars. The food was on par with Michelin star-only better portion size. The service was impeccable. This is a definite must try. Apricot bread pudding, aged steak was out of this world. read more

Jessica's Restaurant - Aged steak - Italian Near Me - Fanwood, New Jersey

This is a small place with some parking adjacent to the building. Came here to celebrate my husband's birthday with a party of nine and we were seated outside in their heated tent, beautiful setting!! Let me start with the ambiance and great service by Rosie! We started with a bunch of appetizers the flavors in each of them were exquisite. Most of us had the short rib fettuccine, it did live up to all the hype of the Yelp reviews. Finished off with different desserts that were just as good. We definitely will be back. Oh yeah service was so good that my husband forgot his leftovers and they called us to lets us know we forgot it. 5 star service read more

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I have been here twice for dinner and it 100% lives up to the great reviews. It is BYOB which is actually a nice break. Service is wonderful, and they have a limited indoor seating area with a nice large tent outside. I think they have pizza to go - only - as someone tried to order it for dine in, and they simply don't do that which is fine. The first time here I had the Bucatini Carbonara - Guanciale, Parmigiano Reggiano, egg yolk and crushed black pepper. Second time it was the OVERNIGHT BRAISED SHORT RIB FETTUCINI - Maitake mushrooms, burrata, white truffle oil, fresh herbs, tomato ragù. There was a lot of time in between visits and the menu changed during that time. I enjoyed my first visit and appreciate that their menu keeps changing, making every meal a remarkable experience. The one challenge might be parking. The lot I scored a space in both times, is very small, thus when it is filled up I am not sure where the next best spot is. read more

Jessica's Restaurant - OVERNIGHT BRAISED SHORT RIB FETTUCINI - Maitake mushrooms, burrata, white truffle oil, fresh herbs, tomato ragù - Italian Near Me - Fanwood, New Jersey

Absolutely fabulous dinner on Saturday night at the (new to us) location in Fanwood. We enjoyed the crab crepe, white muscles & octopus appetizers. The cowboy steak special & pork chop were delish as was the fig panna cotta. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Food, Service and Ambiance! Plenty of parking too. What more could you want? Menu changes, but favorites remain. Quiet but has a vibe. We were never rushed and service is spot on! Love it here . read more

Lives up to the hype. Wanted to try this place for years and finally got the opportunity. The place is very nice inside. The service was solid. Waiter was friendly but they didn't come around to refill water. We tried the fried burrata. It was excellent. We had the rigatoni and shrimp. This was a 10/10. Same with the short ribs. The dessert we got was a special. Key lime pie. It was good. Overall this is one of the better Italian restaurants in the state. A true must go. read more

A place where classic Italian cuisine mixes with French cuisine.. All inspired by Italian and French cooking techniques. Jessica's cafe brings you the sterling and undisputedly original flavor of the food from Italy and France.. We tried Classic Caesar Salad with chicken Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Crepe Bone in chicken Breast Australian Grass Fed Rack of Lamb Crème Brûlée served with berries In house special Lemon Tart Everything was super scrumptious and made with perfection They have a seasonal menu and locally procured, various meat and seafood entrees, on-site made desserts, pastas and Naples wood fired pizza, prepared with Naples Caputo flour and San Marzano tomatoes. ________________________ read more

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I finally made it here to celebrate my Birthday ! I tried to come when they were at the previous location but had to cancel . Jessica's is centered in the town of Fanwood across from the train station and it is beautifully decorated and has a romantic atmosphere. Staff were super friendly and very attentive. We were a party of 5 and although there were plenty of tables open they placed at chair at the end of a 4 person table which made table feel a bit crowded. They have a very nice menu selection but felt it was more Italian than French . Portion sizes are on the small size especially the appetizers so keep that in mind if you have a large party . They bring sliced focaccia bread to the table to start. Also when you place your order it must be the entire tables appetizers and entrees order all at once . We ordered beet salad ( which was delicious) , meatballs which there were two perfectly cooked but missing flavor we also ordered the fried burrata which also lacked flavor would have been nice with garlic crostini. For our main dishes we ordered the Pasta Al Ragu which was hearty and tasty but pasta was very Al dente , Short Rib cavatelli which was good , fettuccini seafood pasta the sauce had good flavor but watery consistency, Potato Gnocchi which fell a little flat in flavor department and sauce was also watery, Also we ordered the pork chop which was nice and juicy but also lacked flavor by itself but with the cabbage it elevated the flavor . All in all we enjoyed our meal and the ambiance. I wish them the best of luck in the newer location . read more

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The cuisine is spectacular as always. The ambience is enchanting. The prices reflect their esteeming themselves a top tier restaurant and they are so close. The service is. . .naive. Pro servers know who gets what without asking and never expect the diner to transport the dish the last 12 inches the table. This at a perfectly navigable 4 top. Maybe hire a couple of Europeans or NYC staffers to lead the staff on service skills? read more

We stopped by Jessica's cafe on a random Saturday night without a reservation and they were able to accomodate for us and we were so happy they did! I'd definitely recommend making a reservation as the restaurant is rather small. Its also BYOB so if you want to pair any drinks with your meals its on you! We started off by ordering the white mussels which were so rich and creamy. This was much better than most restaurants since the sauce had bacon added to it to make it more savory. It was literally so good I could eat two as my meal! My wife ended up with the scallops served on risotta and I had a steak. Both were cooked to perfection and everything was delicious. We were so full but had to try dessert to top off our visit so we ordered a creme brule to share. We've been itching to go back since our first visit but haven't found the time. Hopefully we'll be back soon! read more

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Best food experience I've had in a really long time. I want to note that it was fairly priced as well. Service was prompt and kind. The dining room was busy but not overly crowded. Music was at a perfect level. Overall a nearly perfect dining experience. Well done read more