We came here for the 1st time a few days ago for my son's birthday dinner. It was absolutely delicious and we all had a great time. The place was packed, service was very nice, food was on point, and the drink I had was excellent! Check out my food pics! Definitely coming back! read more

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Ambiance and service was great. Food needs improvement. It was okay. You know when you go to a friend's house who is an at home chef and the meal may not be excused as well as they expected. That's like the food here. The Berkshire pork chops had great flavor but they were slightly dry. Same with the Braised short rib. The effort is put in but food prep requires more fine tuning if they want to achieve a more remarkable culinary experience. read more

Previous reviews...Bennie, chris and Tracy must be family. The service was just as awful as the food. Steak was more fat then meat Octopus was over cooked Pork chop was raw Unfortunately joe bellas needs help in the kitchen to make it! Extremely disappointed, was looking forward to a "good" Italian restaurant in the area read more

Beautiful new offering on the east end of town. The décor/ambiance is beautiful. This side of town is lacking a place to have dinner and a drink, so the bar is a plus. Service was amazing, everyone friendly. The beef carpaccio, scallop app and stuffed artichoke dip were delicious. Our only complaint was that the pasta dishes were under seasoned. We had to ask for salt, pepper and cheese. The place is still new and needs to work out some details. We look forward to returning and sitting out on the veranda. read more

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Been here a few times now. It's not bad. Always able to be seated rather quickly which is nice. Staff is great and love the vibe in there. I'm a sucker for pasta so I always get that. They advertise Al dente which is what fresh pasta should be. But each time it's very over cooked. I just so badly want it to be better lol. But overall it's a nice restaurant read more

If I could give the staff 6 stars, I would. The hostess, the bartender, and every server who walked by us smiled and greeted us. Our waitress, Samantha was fantastic! She was personable and extremely competent. Sam was always aware of what we needed. Our busboy/runner, Joe, should open his own restaurant. He was on top of things, and always knew the right thing to say to make us feel welcome and comfortable. The atmosphere was awesome. Each of the three rooms had their own ambiance. The bar area and room was lighter and fun looking. The second room was pubbish. The third room, where we sat, was rustic and romantic. Love what they have done with this restaurant. I think there was a garden seating area too, but I didn't go out there. We started with the grilled octopus appetizer that was better than most. One of my pet peeves is when my entree comes out too close to my appetizer. Sam specifically made a point to make sure that our dinners weren't fired up too soon after we finished our appetizers. My husband's tuna was sushi grade, but needed a little more heat (although the wasabi creme helped). My veal Milanese was excellent! I loved the seasoned slight crunch on the outside, complimented by the salad on top. The cappuccino was delicious and a good size! Bar drinks were reasonable. I should have started this review with " My new favorite place!" read more

We really wanted to love this place. Wonderful ambiance but the food was really terrible! The bread came out rock hard ... 100% stale! The pasta was over cooked and mushy with way to much garlic that it over powered the flavor of anything in the dish. My sisters pork chop was dry and hard, and pared with a disgusting garlic crema sauce with her pork chop that honestly made me want to hurl. I will note one positive, my neice loved the octopus and thought it was amazing! That said I went on to read reviews after our meal on google. Before I read the reviews I considered maybe they had one bad night? Clearly this kitchen has an issue with knowing how to actually cook food and keeping it consistent. Then I read some of the responses to dissatisfied customers by the owner and WOW JUST WOW! He was so rude in all of his responses to any feed back about his shitty food! He insulted patrons and made fun of them in his responses! Never ever would I eat at this restaurant again or any restaurant this grown ass child of an owner runs! He was simply an asshole to his patrons that commented on their dissatisfaction with his nasty food! Clearly not an ounce of grace. Your food sucks dude and so does your attitude. At least that's consistent. read more

The only thing I really liked here was the wait staff. They were amazing even while dealing with management keeping the inside temp in the 80's ! read more

We went to Joe Bella's after another local restaurant did not honor our reservations. We were delighted we did . The atmosphere is laid back and casual. The tables are spaced out so you do not feel like your dining with other parties . The food was fresh and delicious . We had the Gnocchi with eggplant and fresh mozzarella , Applewood bacon appetizer , Fried Gnocchi appetizer and a unique fried calamari appetizer with fried peppers it was all outstanding . The waitress was very friendly and our food came out promptly . You can not go wrong with this establishment . Give it a try. read more

Went for dinner last night.... Not impressed steak asked for medium was heavily charred. My wife had a chicken dish. Was ok

Service was good but food was very disappointing. Meatballs were dry and the eggplant pancake I'm not even sure what that was.

Loved it! Might have been the best calamari that I've ever had. Seriously what we needed in this part of town. Finally a place with a bar! The outdoor seating is also adorable! read more

I had Ahi Tuna with no seasoning. Too bland to be enjoyable. My wife had Rigatoni Bolognese that was not typical of an Italian tasting dish. On the other hand the service was very good. The waitress was attentive and helpful. The atmosphere was good, but a little congested. I would not recommend it considering the high prices and food quality. read more

Went there fir the first time and was very happy with the food drinks and service. Do try it if you haven't already...........

Took the love of my life on Valentine's Day. My wife started off with a martini, and I had a draft beer. The martini was prepared well, and the beer was cold. Apps included carpaccio and Thai calamari, and both were delicious. Entrees were the surf & turf from the special menu. The steaks were cooked perfectly, and the lobster was tender. Ended the dinner with a dessert martini and espresso. The food was very good, the service was friendly and the prices were reasonably. Will definitely return. read more

Love joe bellas! Everything was perfect- great Toms River spot! Loved the focaccia special with pesto oil read more

Joebellas - Salmon was amazing- perfectly cooked with a delish glaze and crispy potatoes on side - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

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Horrible experience. Steak was raw when asked for medium well. Pasta "is always El Dente" as stated on their menu. It is not. Linguine and Shrimp came out like a giant bowl of smooshed food. Sent back both entrees. Substitutes were below par again. Overcooked pasta (squishy) and the chicken breast tasted as if was cooked a week ago. Dry and not fresh. The atmosphere was terrible. No music playing in the back ground and a slamming heavy fire door all night as the wait staff repeatedly entered and existed through this door. It was like they were slamming it on purpose and this went on for 1.5 hours. Can't you put a door stopper? This is not the same restaurant we visited 2 years ago. It has gone completely down hill with the lack of quality in their food. I would not recommend it. read more

First time here. Party of three. We loved the atmosphere. Our waiter was good, but we did not love the food. It was very pricey, which we knew in advance, but was expecting the food to taste much better. My steak was $46 and I took it home as a meal for the dog. I ordered the steak medium and it was pretty much well done. It was tasteless and tough to chew . I asked for steak sauce because I thought maybe I would be able to eat the steak then, but they only had Worcestershire sauce which I don't care for. My husband and daughter ordered a pasta dish. They said it was OK but was not worth the price charged. I had heard good things about this restaurant and was very excited to try it. We will not return read more

Joebellas - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

Best food in Toms River!!! My mom and I came in for dinner and Kaitlyn was our server her service was exceptional. We had the artichoke franchaise, rigatoni pesto burrata and the sausage rigatoni , everything was delicious. Kaitlyn so personable and made excellent recommendations. If you're in the area and craving Italian make sure you stop by!! Banana bread pudding was to die for read more

Joe Bella's was a great dining experience . The staff is super friendly and accommodating . The atmosphere is super chill and trendy, but most of all the food was delicious . The pasta dishes r delicious and big enough to share for two . Appetizers were almost the best part but then I had the bread pudding which was my favorite!! My family and I can't wait to dine here again . I wish we could of ordered the entire menu read more

Joebellas - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

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Food was excellent! Service was good. Nice atmosphere. Ordered the veal parm. Huge portion. I would go again.

Absolutely delicious! Food was amazing, drink menu was fun and extensive and dessert drinks were delicious. Took my husband for father day with our nine year old son and will definitely be back. Great atmosphere, food and service!! read more

Took a chance without making a reservation.. we were seated quickly. I had the grilled octopus with a bean purée (appetizer). The octopus delicious & the purée was excellent! The gnocchi was cooked perfectly, My husband had the rigatoni.. good flavor but he his pasta was a little too Al dente, but that's his preference. Both portions generous & extra brought home. Steve our server was polite & had a good personality! Will be back! read more

3 of us went for dinner. We had appetizers and entrees. The gemelli pasta was bland. The veal milanese was horrible. Only good thing was the charred octopus. Fettucine was just ok. Needed pepper to give it some taste. I would avoid this place. read more

Nice ambiance. The cook must have had a bad night as everything was over done. The service was just ok. Very disappointed.

My boyfriend and I went there for my birthday over the weekend.The first issue was waiting 40 minutes for our table to be ready. No point of making a reservation. No excuse for that. There is no space to wait comfortably either. We sat basically shoulder to shoulder with everyone at the bar. Once we sat down and got our apps I realized that the mozzarella cheese was cold and it seemed as if it was premade. The mozzarella cheese was stiff and the tomatoes were too. I mentioned this to the waitress and she never took it off the bill. Also, the "specials" were the same as what they listed on this tiny menu at the bar. Normally expensive restaurants have the waitress verbally explain what specials they have. We thought that we saw a mini bar menu at the bar. For dinner my steak tasted old and weird. The potatoes had way too much pepper on it. The tiramisu had way too much powder on top and overly sweet. I couldn't enjoy my birthday dinner and we spent a lot of money that we can never get refunded for . We will not be coming back are both extremely disappointed . That is an understatement. read more

The food was fantastic. The service was okay. The manager came by and asked how we were doing. The music was torture. It was like eating good Italian food in a loud club for college students. I would not return for that reason alone. I expect to hear Italian crooners in a place like that. read more

Great idea to stop and eat at Joe Bellas tonight. Decor cute. Food need to step it up. House salad was mostly lettuce. Should be more a representation of ingredients described on menu. Had eggplant pancake as my entree. Was heavy and salty. Not sure about gloppy sauce. Missing roasted tomatoes and red pepper. The problem is that the menu describes one thing and you get another. Single diner, I heard other tables being offered ground pepper,hot pepper, parm cheese. I had to ask for ground pepper on my salad and pancake. Again service was not bad but not great either. On the fence if I would ever go back.... read more

honestly, i don't know why this place has 3.5 stars right now. the service alone blows this place right out of the water. at a time when most places are understaffed and service can't be up to par this place really made me feel like we were the only customers there. i came here with my two girlfriends for girls night and have been thinking about going back ever since. the BEST extra dirty martinis ever (w/ blue cheese stuffed olives), the octopus was chefs kiss, and the pasta was amazing, amazing, AH-mazing. i wish i would've taken some photos for you but all i have is a snap of my martini. read more

Joebellas - extra dirty martini w blue cheese stuffed olives - Italian Near Me - Toms River Twp, New Jersey

Went there for my Birthday last week. Had to try the Asiago chicken dish everyone raves about. Flavor was great but I found the chicken to be over cooked. My daughter had the halibut which was good. My son had the garlic salmon with mashed and brussel sprouts. The best brussel sprouts I've ever had. read more

First time we (Wife & I) visited this restaurant was on a Sat night. made reservations on-line (off their web site) and arrived 20 mins early. Young ladies at the check in said they had no reservations for us, and I showed them my confirmation on the phone; one young lady said that was from Resy, and not from the restaurant?!?! I politely told her we made the reservation on Joe Bela's site and this was the confirmation we received (Again 1st time coming here) - have to say the girls were very professional, and even on a very busy night, got us seated in 2-3 minutes w/o any further issues - Kudos to the staff! Now - it was VERY noisy and I usually don't like noisy places BUT one the food came it was all worth it! From the Bread & Drinks, to the the app. (Pan Seared Scallops & House salad) to the main courses (Short Ribs & Strip Steak) and then onto the desert - Zepoles, it was EXCELLENT! One of the Best meals we have had in a long time - EVERYTHING was prepared perfectly and presented hot at the table. Wait staff was friendly & attentive - This may be our new Favorite Restaurant! Be prepared, it is not cheap! A little pricey if you not expecting it, but the food was worth every penny! Kuddos to Joe (owner) and his staff - Nice job! JT read more

Seems to be a very popular joint. Food is ok .. Service is ok . Will probably go back for a quick drink.. read more

Dining at JBs was recommended by a friend of my wife, and I will say that the setting inside was inviting and I was looking forward to a great meal. The waiter was friendly, attentive and the service was timely...but the seating was WAY too close to other tables. When seated, it was as if my wife and I were actually dining with the guests at the table next to us bc we heard every word of their conversations. Waiters/waitresses have approx. 24 inches between the tables...and although they were able to squeeze between ours and the ones to the left and right of ours, I don't appreciate someone's "backside" practically touching my table while I'm eating. This happened on every occasion when they were taking orders for drinks/appetizers/dinner/dessert at the neighboring tables. As for the food...my wife enjoyed her penne vodka (with chicken added)...but IMO that's really not a difficult dish to compose. I had the asiago chicken... which was breaded, in a garlic cream sauce, w/ oven roasted tomato, grilled asparagus, and potato croquette. The chicken was thin and a bit overcooked, the cream sauce was rather bland, the roasted tomato (was a half of a cherry tomato placed on top of the chicken), and the 3 asparagus sprigs were also very thin. The potato croquette was the best thing on my plate...a delicious crunchy exterior and great texture of potato interior. Im not saying it was horrible, and maybe I just should have chosen a more traditional Italian dish on the menu, but not sure I'd go back. read more

Pork chop completely under cooked the amount of garlic added to pasta dish did not allow you to taste anything else if they slowed service down to reasonable time frame food would be cooked Second time there and both times food is not good Sad read more

2 1/2 stars. Atmosphere was great, however the food was nothing to write home about. Pastas were bland, they needed salt. The truffle pasta was lacking truffle. The fra diavolo was also bland, it was evident the seafood was not cooked in the sauce. Our appetizers were good! The eggplant frittata was excellent. The burrata was good too. We did not have dessert. Our server was great and so were the bartenders. I would go back but would only sit at the bar and have an appetizers. read more

Wow. Wow. Wow. Excellent. The service was phenomenal. Lexi the server was absolutely on POINT! Very light hearted and great atmosphere. Not only did she give us great recommendations but they were exactly what the tastebuds ordered that day. Service. Check. Food. Check. Ambiance. Check. 6 stars for this place ! read more

Stopped for dinner with friends. Was not disappointed. Pasta was home made and cooked perfectly. Will definitely be back.

I'll start with the good, the place is cozy, clean, and super cute. Love the ambiance, drinks, and the staff is very friendly however service is mediocre. The food is just okay. The eggplant pancake was super soggy and bland. The veal Milanese was over cooked and very dry. I had trouble biting it. The penne alla vodka was delicious and the tiramisu was just okay. Food isn't great but because the drinks are delicious and the staff is incredibly nice, I'll give it another shot. read more

Overall 3.5 Good Family Dinner, apps octopus, pear salad, charcuterie board and burrata,.. Go for the gnocchi very tasty, halibut too.. Mushroom pasta lacked salt.. Enjoyed zeppoli and banana bread pudding. Great server Nicole ! read more

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The food and Drinks are always excellent the staff is very helpful and friendly and the atmosphere is perfect just a great place to go