Okay..... the hidden Gem moved to Main Street (Port Jeff Village). The hidden Gem is still serving good food: but, OMG this place will suffer based on the wait staff. By far and away the worst I've experienced. I took away a star for this reason. The new spot aesthetically is just okay. As always with local restauranteurs little to no attention paid to the noise level. My ears were bleeding throughout dinner. The restaurant needs decor which creates a warmer inviting presence. Our food was delicious but the wait time for the meals and drinks was insufferable. BTW, the wait time for the check was equally as painful. To the owners, get your (you know what) together and figure this out. You will not succeed unless immediate improvements are made. read more

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My wife and I made reservations at 4:00 PM on a Thursday evening. When we entered the establishment, the seating area was empty, by the time we left, at around 5:00 PM, the place was getting crowded. We ordered fried calamari as appetizers and a zuppa di pesce - while zuppa is translated as soup in English, the dish is closer to what may be considered a fish stew. In addition to the fried calamari we also ordered a large salad that we split. Cova is a unique restaurant that serves dinner in a family-style format. This means that the entrees are designed to be shared between two or four people. While the food is excellent, for a hungry person, the amount per serving is not worth the price. Unfortunately, the cappuccino maker was not in service, so I ordered a regular cup of decaffeinated coffee. Regrettably, the coffee was not to my liking. The Takeaways: 1. The food is very tasty. 2. The coffee is not good. 3. The price to portion ration is poor. 4. Parking is ample. 5. Make reservations. read more

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Service excellent . Gave this place 2 tries. Food abominable drenched in butter and sodium. Tastes like frozen seafood from Costco. I had to yak on my way home. read more

We had an amazing dinner last night at their new location on Main Street in Port Jeff. They had just relocated to this space the day before. The owner, as well as the staff, was attentive and friendly. The food was delicious! Fried calamari, spaghetti with clam sauce, grilled chicken over escarole and beans, and shrimp parm were all cooked to perfection! We all shared this family style feast. We plan on visiting again soon! Check it out! It is located off of Main Street, behind Starbuck's. read more

La Cova La Cova - A Hidden Gem Worth Discovering As seniors, our usual dining adventures rarely go beyond the nearest fast-food joint. But we'd heard the buzz about La Cova, and wow--what an experience! The food was absolutely out of this world, and the ambiance was exceptional, but what truly made the evening unforgettable was our waitress, Analisa. With the prettiest smile, Analisa was polite, charming, and incredibly attentive. Our water glasses were always full, and she ensured we had everything we needed--without being intrusive. She was, quite honestly, the most loving and thoughtful waitress we've ever encountered. At 82, I couldn't take my eyes off her--and to top it all off, I found out we shared the same last name! I was so shaken that I almost asked if we were related! If you're looking for a bit of magic, an uplifting and change, something different, stop in and ask for Analisa. And tell them Papa Jeff sent you. read more

La Cova - Plenty of food! - Italian Near Me - Port Jefferson Station, New York

First time here, food and service were excellent! It's a very small place, which I didn't realize. Will definitely come back without the kids. Thank you for being sweet when we had to rush out when my sons adhd took a turn! read more

I eat at La Cova often since they opened 2 and a half years ago. The food is excellent At first I didn't care for the family style but now I'm glad because I always get to go home with food for tomorrow. I strongly recommend La Cova. I'm lookin forward to visit their new location opening this month on Msin St by the ferry in Port Jeff read more

So good! Wish we would have gone here sooner and taken more advantage of the wonderful food and ambiance. Enjoyed the octopus appetizer special- so buttery and even the greens dressings was delicious. As 2 couples, we shared 3 dishes and the portions were so huge that we each took home enough for lunch for 2 the next day. Staff was incredibly attentive and kind. So glad we came here and looking forward to many visits going forward read more

Tried to place an order. Was going thru the ingredients to make sure the food was safe for my allergy. The server told me he didn't think my order was serious then hung up on me. Terrible service! read more

Great hidden secret! Family style italian at an incredible pricing. Make reservations.

Very clean. Great portions. A little pricey but food is amazing. We got baked clams, stuffed mushrooms, garlic bread, a mix of chicken entrees, pasta and shrimp entrees. Ridiculously good! Honestly, dessert was disappointing but I'm not a big dessert person so I didn't care much. Highly recommend for a family style Italian restaurant. read more

New go to. Went for lunch- limited menu. Started with fried Calamari with arrabbiata sauce. Fresh tender squid lightly battered with a beautiful spicy sauce. For mains veal parm-fork tender and delicious. Eggplant parm, no bitterness and wonderful. Shrimp parm super fresh huge shrimp and perfectly cooked. Can't wait to come back for dinner. Be sure to use gps. Hard to find. read more

Walking in, we were immediately greeted and seated with Menus. Restaurant appeared clean, but very minimalistic decor; basic black/white/gray palette. Only about 10 tables, small and quaint. Fresh water was served along with a toasted bread & butter basket. For an appetizer, we ordered the half order of Baked Clams. They were delicious!! And the sauce they were served over was bread dipping worthy!!! For dinner, we ordered the (red) Frutti di Mare and Veal Valdostana. The Veal was unbelievably sized. It was fork tender, and no effort needed to cut. Very enjoyable. The frutti di Mare was actually a regular sized portion from any decent Italian restaurant for one person and was on price point. That said, it was excellent. The calamari melted, and the large shrimp were tender. There were actual whole cloves of roasted garlic, which I enjoyed. Again, the sauce begged for bread to be dipped. The only disappointment was ordering a $64 Veal Chop that doesn't come with a side, nothing. The a la carte sides were pricey. The service was excellent. I don't believe it's in a great location, and in my opinion, it would be better off without family style dining. The food was excellent, and I hope they're successful. read more

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The food and the service at this place are excellent. The portion size is very large and the environment is very intimate.

Calamari was fried on the lighter side, could use some more seasoning imo, but it had plenty of squid and wasn't just breading. The entrees were pretty good and I think anything you get here would be at least decent. Service was definitely a highlight of the visit. Our server Alex was hilarious and helpful. Overall it was a memorable experience and I had a fun time. read more

Lucky us...we have a 5 star restaurant 2 miles from our home.Can't say enough about the quality of the food and service.Our friends agreed that this was one of the best dining experiences we've had in awhile.Yes,it's in a small strip next to alot of commercial businesses but don't let that fool you...it's a winner. read more

We had an incredible meal at LaCova after months of driving past this hidden gem! We ordered the baked clams ,calamari fritti & Chicken Sorentino with a side of penne paired beautifully together especially when accompanied by perfectly balanced old fashion strongly suggested by our charming server Alex whose efforts enhanced our evening even more thanks too him recommending the Napoleon for dessert which he said was homemade (and clearly so). While there are some areas that can use improvements such as expanding beyond just offering basic house wine., one thing is certain -you won't leave disappointed read more

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Let me tell you , the ambiance was cozy and relaxing , clean and inviting. The food was great , 5 starts from my family and I . The staff was professional and very attentive to our needs. 5 stars for the servers. I intend to take a large group of friends there it was that impressive. read more

So I've eaten in the restaurant a few times over the last month and the food, ambiance and service was wonderful, so wonderful that I catered food from them for a baby shower yesterday. They delivered right on time, the delivery person was personable and accommodating and the food was liked by all. We ordered staples like Penne a-La Vodka and Chicken Parmesan, but we also ordered Lobster Ravioli, Frutti de Mare and the LaCova. Delicious and plentiful. Thank you Alex for helping us make this event exactly what we had hoped. read more

Food was unbelievable as well as the service, the ambience needs to be upgraded it just needs a woman's touch.

We planned a 95th birthday celebration for my mil with the help of Alex. He was professional and knowledgeable and knew so much about how to make this a special party. The food was scrumptious, the service impeccable. Mom and family were thrilled! This is a favorite go-to for family style Italian. read more

So I went to La Cova months ago for dinner, the service was great and the food was outstanding and plentiful. This afternoon I returned for lunch, a limited version of the dinner menu. Once again the portions were well more than one would expect for a lunch menu and the food was amongst the best I've had on Long Island. Upon completing our meal the waiter who also did a great job, well he brought over 2 complimentary cannolis. I will definitely return and I highly recommend. read more

Recently attended a birthday party in the private room at La Cava. It was wonderful. The food and service were great, which is what I expected since the dinner I had there previously was also delicious. I rate this restaurant at least a 4 star. Hope to return soon. read more

We love the food, the staff is great and with BYOW as an option it makes it an affordable family style place for us.

Trying this hidden gem of a family style Italian restaurant, we were more than pleasantly surprised on how good the food and service is. Quality of the food is amazingly delicious with healthy portions to share. Service is attentive and friendly. Ambiance is nondescript but very clean and quiet. We'll definitely be back to try other items on the menu. read more

Everything about La Cova is fantastic. The food was amazing, service was on-point, and prices were more than fair. We got the baked penne and rigatoni bolognese. They were 'half portions' and still enough for a meal and a full leftover too. We tried the Napoleon for dessert and it didn't disappoint! I felt compelled to write a review because its location is tough for a restaurant and you can easily miss La Cova if you're not looking for it. It's surrounded by car repair shops and in an unassuming 2-business shopping center. It's because of the existing reviews we decided to try it out and we're really glad we did. This place deserves a chance the next time you're looking to get dinner out. read more

First, I'm Italian and very critical of Italian restaurants and authenticity and this is I think the best Italian restaurant in the area hands down. The food is fresh and service is outstanding! Thank you Alex! My favorites are Penne Vodka, Chicken Sorrentino, shrimp parm, Fried Calamari with an amazing arrabiata sauce on the side, the Rib Eye (outstanding!), Broccoli Rabe to die for, so much more and the bartender William outstanding! It's family style serving full and half sizes and save room which it's hard the famous home made Napoleon cake like you've never had before and the cannoli! Can't say enough try it! My husband and I are there every weekend close to home too! read more

La Cova - a blue cocktail with an orange slice and a blue umbrella - Italian Near Me - Port Jefferson Station, New York

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Wonderful place when you have a large party of hungry group. Food and service both excellent. We had a party of 8 after a high-school graduation and everyone had a wonderful experience. read more

My family and I really enjoyed our meal. Everything was made to perfection. We had the Chicken Francese and the Frutti di Mare (red) over spaghetti. Both of these dishes were among the best versions of these dishes that I have ever had. The homemade desserts including the cheesecake and Napolean were incredible. The service was also excellent. I highly recommend La Cova. read more

Food is outstanding. Been there multiple times haven't had a dish from app to dinner to dessert that wasn't outstanding!!!!!a hidden gem

Nice place food is good service excellent food definitely I come back they had good selection read more

Food is to die for one of my favorite dishes here is the chicken francese with spaghetti. Also I like the fried calamari to start and to end the homemade napoleon. Service was amazing everyone is welcoming and friendly. Environment was a little quiet as they just started not to many people now about this place. I encourage you to go support this new business and give it a try. You won't regret it. I love how clean and organized everything is. read more

If you're looking for an authentic Italian food, La cova is the perfect place, serving family style is perfect for big groups, the service at this place is excellent, I had will serving me at the bar, very experienced bartender, family atmosphere; I'll give a 5+ star review to this place. read more