This is a good local hangout. They keep the interior very dark, maybe that's for the best, ha ha. Food is okay, nothing special. If you are in the area and looking for a quick bite for a decent price this is for you. Service is okay. During lunch the bartender manages the tables also. The food isn't coming out quickly. It's basic bar food, again nothing special. I have been to this place 3 times in recent months to just make sure I give them a fair shake. They are consistent in being mediocre. There is parking as this place is in a small strip mall where Fresh Grocer is located. read more

This was my second time dining at Lombardi's, and just like the first, my boyfriend and I walked so satisfying and very full. Tucked inside a strip mall in Cedar Grove, this very unassuming spot might fool you at first glance. From the outside (and even when you first walk in), it has a casual dive-bar feel, but don't let that fool you as the food is absolutely phenomenal. Our friends who live just five minutes away insisted we try it, and I'm so glad they did. The first time we went, we shared the mussels as a starter. It was fresh, flavorful, and a great way to kick things off. But the real star of the show is the Chicken Scarpariello. You can choose your spice level (Sweet, Medium, or Hot) for just $24.99, and it's worth every penny. It's packed with sautéed chicken, mushrooms, onions, vinegar peppers, sausage, sliced potatoes (that look like chips but are addictively good), and garlic, all in a lightly braised brown sauce. We always get it over linguine and honestly, it's one of the best pasta dishes I've had. My boyfriend who never walks out of a restaurant with leftovers actually had me pack it up and his friend walk it to the car. That's how good it was! Our friends ordered the Chicken Lombardi served over penne. This meal is a double-breasted chicken topped with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and a creamy pink vodka sauce. Also fantastic, but if you're into bold, spiced flavors, Scarpariello is the way to go for sure. We had two teenagers with us who ordered Chicken Parm with angel hair pasta and Buffalo chicken wings. While their palettes are still evolving, the next-day leftover parm was a hit! Drinks were strong, in fact, my Cosmo came with a serious kick, so I asked for a side of cranberry juice to tone it down, and the staff was super accommodating. Speaking of the staff, the service both times has been warm, attentive, and never rushed. My boyfriend and I already made a pact, that any time we're with these friends again in their area, Lombardi's will be our go-to. We've heard the pizza is amazing, so that's next on the list. If you're in the area and looking for unexpectedly amazing Italian food in a laid-back setting, do yourself a favor and try Lombardi's. Just trust me and come hungry. read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Chicken parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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Old school Pizza and bar known for its than pizza crust, reasonable prices, and welcoming bar. Not just pizza on the menu but plenty of choices including salad sandwiches and apps. Well known for lunch and dinner specials. Plenty of parking, easy access, and very friendly atmosphere. Plenty of sports and games on television surrounding the bar. read more

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Stopped by for an early dinner on a Sunday evening and sat at the bar.. very quickly it got pretty busy. Easy parking and laid back vibes - we will absolutely be back! We ordered the Romaine Gorgonzola salad with grilled chicken and famous shrimp scampi pizza - I heard from friends it's a must try and it did not disappoint! At first, we thought it was very watery/saucy but it was actually delish and not too saucy at all. It was plenty for 2 and we had some pizza left over which heated up great the next day. We will see you soon!! Thanks for a great experience! read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Romaine Gorgonzola - add grilled chicken (so good!) - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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Having moved into the area several months ago, we were looking for a good, local, "go-to" place. Little did we know, this place is soooo much better than "good" while maintaining the "go-to" status. Every meal we've had (even the occasional take-out night) has been delicious and satisfying. The staff is always friendly and attentive. Dana, who was behind the bar last night, was delightful and friendly. She was great to chat with as the night started to wind down. This establishment has been around for years and it's clear as to why: great food, friendly service, and reasonable prices make this place worth the occasional wait (and I do mean occasional)!! read more

Great pizza, amazing sangria, and a cozy vibe--definitely a spot I'll be coming back to again soon

A cross between a sports bar and a seafood nautical restaurant m, kind of a dark interior. Came on a recommendation and was told to try the special pie. It had chicken in a pink vodka sauce m, so that was ordered and finished. It was pretty good and I followed with the linguine and clams sauce. After some grated cheese snd chili pepper flakes it was a damn good meal. read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Linguine with clam sauce - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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Terrible. Place looked closed from the outside - very dark no lights. Almost didn't go in until we saw someone leave. Place is dimmly lit and basically a bar with tables. No one at hostess area - two tables of people and others sitting at bar. Three women working - one at bar and two that seemed to be waitresses. No one greeted us - no one came over. We stood and waited - five minutes before we were acknowleged and told to sit anywhere. Given menus and a specials menu. Tables were haphazardly arranged - and looked unkempt. Menu lacked options beyond bar food type items. No one came to table to take drink order or bring water. After sitting ten minutes we left. read more

We keep coming back to this place year after year. Awesome food, great ambience, it's a casual sports bar. You can't go wrong. Family Friendly. If you're looking for a good Italian meal, this is the place to go!! You need to order the Lombardi platter.yummy. Meatball and vodka pizza is awesome as well! read more

Came here for the thin crust pizza, and pretty much that only. It's usually a bad sign when your drink order comes in throw away plastic cups but it's kinda a sports bar so whatever, I can deal. Wait staff is cordial and pleasant. But hey that pizza, soooo weird, the first three slices I thought I entered the pearly gates of pizza heaven. Once the pizza cooled a bit it was more like pizza hell. Suddenly the crust turned to cardboard and the cheese lost its flair. So my advice would be go with a group, order a few pies and woof down those first few slices! read more

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We arrived at 6:20 4 people. We were told 25 minute wait. Ok, not too bad. We ordered drinks, stood for a while and then sat at the bar (only2 seats). We were sitting right in front of the hostesses so it's not like they couldn't see us. Our names were written down in the book and we waited for a call. 40 minutes later still not called. The worst part was people that came in well after us were being seated. My husband asked a couple of times as we saw open seats but they told him the tables weren't cleaned yet. Our table was over there where people were still seated and eating. A few people asked me how long were we waiting and I told them "a while". Next thing I knew the four of them were being seated and we are still waiting. I told the woman "we've been waiting an hour"! Her reply was "an hour?!!!! Checking her book she made a face because I believe the young girl skipped right over us. Finally 1 hour and 5 minutes later we were seated at a table with only 3 chairs! So now we waited for another chair! On a positive note the food was good! But we will not be returning. No apology offered and frankly there are too many Italian restaurants around this area to go to. Shame on you Lombardi's, not a nice way to treat your customers! read more

Five stars for family Italian. I have been a loyal Lombardi's patron for many years. It's not at all high end. It's an old school family style Italian restaurant. Noisey, a little rough around the edges and I love it. The food is very good and the thin crust pizza is actually pretty amazing. I usually get it topped with long hots, onions and pepperoni. My go to meals are the rigatoni with calamari (Galamah) in tough guy sauce. The rigatoni with broccoli rabe and sausage. And if you are felling like having something a bit healthier the grilled chicken with broccoli rabe in garlic and oil is great. The portion sizes are very generous and the prices aren't bad at all. The servers are very friendly and make you feel right at home. read more

Boy, do I miss the Lombardi's in Fairfield. The reviews for this place seem to be all over the map, but I'd be curious to know what percentage of reviewers have been to the now-closed Fairfield location - the atmosphere and more importantly the pizza were significantly better there, and I suspect the ratings here would take a hit in direct comparison. Unlike this particular restaurant, the Fairfield location was a standalone building, featuring a more sports bar-themed section and also a family-oriented sit-down restaurant area. It kind of gave off (and I don't mean this as any type of insult) an Applebee's vibe where you have a lot of local sports team memorabilia prominently displayed, and it was just comfortable, regardless of the specific environment within the building you chose to sit in. The Cedar Grove Lombardi's loses a lot of personality points in favor of its closed sibling. It's in a strip mall next to a supermarket, and the restaurant/bar is housed in a single, square room. Efforts have been made to spiff it up a little (the furniture looked new, and it appears that a fresh coat of paint has been recently applied), but the lighting and layout just makes the environment overall come across as impersonal, in my opinion. Due to the recent polar vortex weather, I decided to order a cheese pizza for lunch pickup to accompany a West Wing marathon (obviously nothing after Season 4 when Aaron Sorkin left - life is too short). Lombardi's website indicated that they opened at 11:30am. I called around 11:50am - no answer. I called back about 10 minutes later and got someone on the phone this time to place the order. Not a huge deal, but I don't think you should have to call a restaurant multiple times to order something. And I hate to say it, but you wouldn't have that problem with Dominos down the street because of their automated system that at worst would keep you on hold for a few minutes until someone was available to take the call. When I went to pick up the pizza, it took about six minutes for the waitress to finally go back to the kitchen for me to procure it - longer than it should have but it did seem like she was the only one out there (which likely explains why my first call went unanswered), and she was manning all aspects of the front, from greeter to waitress to bartender. The waitress seemed a bit harried, but you can understand that to a degree given that she was in charge of literally everything in the restaurant presumably other than making the actual pizza. The pizza was very mediocre. Lombardi's specializes in bar pies. I think the gold standard in the area is Star Tavern in Orange, and this is not that. A bar pie should have a thin, crispy crust, and this was doughier, especially on the outer edges, where it just didn't look cooked enough (you can see it on the accompanying picture - the density should be pretty universal throughout the pie). None of the ingredients were particularly tasty, though the sauce was PROBABLY the best, on the sweeter side. Optics-wise, it reminded me a lot of a freezer Celeste Pizza, which is probably not what they were going for. The price was pretty par for the course, at $11.99 plus tax. I won't be returning, and I'd recommend if you're in the area and hankering for this type of pizza, spend another 15 minutes in the car and go over to Orange. read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Cheese pizza. - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

After a victorious Jets win in pouring rain, my friend had recommended that we should go to Lombardi's so I obliged. When I first entered Lombardi's, the clientele and general surroundings felt very homely. We were able to see some other exhausted but happy Jets fans arriving around the same time as us to enjoy some food. My friend had been talking up the calamari for the previous few days so I had to go for it. Unlike some of the past calamari I've had from other restaurants that had been frozen and rubbery, the calamari here was lightly breaded and very flavorful. For the main dish, I went with the fettuccine carbonara. There was a nice blend of creaminess, saltiness from the bacon, and fresh pasta to round it out. The portion size was also very fair for the price. Whenever I am in the mood again for Italian food, I will definitely consider coming back here. If nothing else, I would highly recommend the calamari. Happy eating! read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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Whaaa whaaa!!! This isn't the Fairfield location, theres no sports memorabilia, it's in a strip mall, I'm so fragile I can't handle change, whaaaa! So no, I have never been to the Fairfield location and I don't care. Lucky I looked past all these 1 to 3 star reviews and brought my family to this gem. I don't care if it's in the back of a run down gas station, good food is good food; and this my friends is GOOD food. The pizza is good, standard Jersey Bar pie. Is it the best, no, that's because NJ style bar pie is never the best pizza . The best NJ bar pie is where ever you grew up with, but as someone who knows his pie, this is above average and better than the near by Angelonis in Caldwell. Yes, that is a fact! The dishes, I'll preface this section with saying "there's is a wait". Again, good food takes time and our dishes took a while to come out but damn did they come out HOT! The guys in the kitchen must be machines, between take out and dine in orders where flying out. Back to the dishes, my Eggplant Parm was on point, my wife's Vodka Linguine, pulled high and super creamy. I ate it all, but my eyes ate also. The dishes that I saw come out of the kitchen where amazing. Large plates of mussels, broccoli rabe with sausage and potatoes, chicken scarpiello; everything served piled high, like those old classic Italian joints that just bring out food with no menu. I kept stopping the waitress to ask what that dish was! This is a nice place to bring the family and a good change from the many pubs. I appreciated the nicely dressed well aged women accommodating everyone, checking up on tables, just saying "hi". The wait staff was moving fast and hard to get their attention but they kicked ass and got me whatever I needed in a timely manner. Tips to dine in, get there between 4-5 for a weekend dinner if you have kids. Between 5-6 the place was slammed with diners and it could get tight. We are glad we came early and we will be coming back. read more

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After numerous times back to this restaurant it has certainly become one of my favorites. Especially when they have the seafood specials so fresh and delicious! It does get pretty crowded so if you are turned off by Crowds this is one place you probably shouldn't go to. Everything that we have had here so far has been delicious definitely have gotten better over time read more

A hidden gem!!! I came here for the first time recently after living in the area forever. Their thin crust pizza is so amazing, I'm shocked it's not talked about as much as other popular places! The focaccia bread and sauce they serve when you first sit down are truly incredible. I could fill up on just that and be content. We ordered the calamari, which was super delicious and crispy. The two pies we split were the pepperoni pie and chicken francese. The pepperoni pie was super crispy and had a great taste to it. The chicken francese pie was awesome as well with a very generous amount of chicken on it! Can't wait to come back! read more

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I have tried many things on the menu. Everything has been great. From sandwiches. Pizza, pasta and fish. There maybe some wait but the food is good. Great neighbors spot.o read more

Lombardis was always a staple and then for some reason we just stopped going years ago. No reason . I've been back a few times for Pizza in the past few months and it as good as it's ever been. The pizza is exactly the same as it's always been. Excellent. Only thing is if you're eating inside it's very loud. read more

We go to Lombardi's on a regular basis. They have awesome Italian food and pizza. Their "down neck up here" menu is also great. Highly recommend read more

I like the pizza very much because it's thin crust done well. The menu is nice. Food is generally good. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top delicious. But is nice neighborhood fare. read more

We recently ordered two pizzas for pickup. it wasn't until after we got home that we realized they gave us one of the wrong pizzas. they were not very busy so I'm not sure what happened. The boxes we got were not labeled with our names so it's not clear how they keep track of which order is which. In fact I'm not quite sure what they gave us in place of the pizza we ordered. here's a picture. It's basically just a very thin crust with a thin layer of marinara sauce, not even cut into slices? It didn't look particularly edible and we just ended up throwing it out and not having the dinner we wanted. we called and they said they would deliver our missing pizza but it took an extremely long amount of time to deliver and so we ended up canceling it. The pizza we had ordered would have been sitting around for almost 2 hours before we got it. Not exactly what we had paid for. We asked for a credit on our credit card but we have seen nothing. read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Unsure - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

I have been ordering and going to Lombardi's for so many years. Tonight I ordered the eggplant parmigiana dinner. It was inedible. In the pic below I removed the gooey mozzarella cheese mess that covered this poor excuse for eggplant parm. There was barely any sauce. It tastes just how it looks. One bite I had was tender but had a weird taste. The second was chew and I had to spit it out. We reached out to the restaurant and was told that "this is how the prepare it" Google a picture of eggplant parm and then take a look at this monstrosity. Never in my life have I seen something so gross. It looks like boiled skin. Sorry but not sorry for being brutally honest but this is not acceptable. C'mon Lombardi's! You have been around for almost 20 years and I still love your pizza, but after this I won't order from you anymore. Last notes: The parm was warm but the pasta was very hot? The salad dressing has no taste? (It used to be great) read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Eggplant Parmigiana and Penne pasta - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Two star is for the food, I hope this review can reach their management or the restaurant owner. I don't ever want to ruin people's great business, but the waiter needs some attention. Or if he is the management self, I will never visit again. I visited in a weekday afternoon. The waiter was mean. There were only 4 tables, a bigger group had done ordering/eating, so the restaurant wasn't busy at all. I have been sitting down (no one waited or guided me in since no one was at the front, I had to politely check with the waiter if could sit down myself) he responded with a rude attitude. I set there for a good 10-15 minutes, he passed by for at least 5 times wouldn't even bring me a menu. Sad I always have good experience with their food , pizza was great, as well as salads and appetizers. After 20 minutes+, he's still not taking my order. I end up having to go to the bar and order with the bartender for a take out. read more

In the best of times Lombardi's has a lot going for it. Right now, in what may not be the worst of times, but certainly are very trying ones, Lombardi's is really shining. They seem short of staff, but that's not stopping them. Those who are there are working hard and fast, and they don't take a break. Lombardi's has always felt like a sort of informal community hub, where sooner or later you'll see all your neighbors, and friends. And even now, it still feels that way. Instead of running into friends, neighbors, and teachers in the dining room, you cross paths with them as they stop in to pick up the food they love. And there's good reason to love it. Yes, there's a big bar, but don't let that fool you into thinking Lombardi's is all about the booze and the games on the many TVs. The food has big flavor, big portions and big fans. For my money, they make the best "bar pies" in New Jersey. Yes, even better than that place in West Orange. Try the Margarita pizza. It may not be strictly traditional, but it's so good. As good as the pizza is, my hands down favorite is their Veal Parmesan. If you've ever been to Spirito's in Elizabeth, Lombardi's is just as good (maybe even better). Really tender veal you can cut with a fork, great tomato sauce that's thick and zesty without the sweetness that ruins other sauces. Did I mention the potions are BIG? You really get your money's worth. Also, don't forget to try their house salad (which isn't anything special), but their balsamic vinaigrette is amazing, and should really be bottled. What else is good? Well, really everything. The plain cheese pizza is almost a required starting point before you try anything else on the menu. It's also worth mentioning that their take-out portions are just as big as what they serve on the plate. I don't know where they found the huge round take-out containers, but they allow the food to be plated attractively, which isn't easy for take-out orders. I highly recommend you give Lombardi's a try, especially now. We wouldn't want to lose them. Go, give an extra large tip and be patient. You'll be glad you did (on all three accounts). read more

I was just looking at the listings for Lombardi's since we are ordering again tonight (as we do most weeks) and I wanted some more ideas and was shocked at how low the ratings are. Enzo's get 4 stars and Lombardi's gets 3? Are you people from Jersey or what. Ugh. We only recently discovered Lombardi's, during the quarantine days. We tried it on a lark, when we didn't want to cook and were trying different places in the area. Now we been Villa Victoria fans for well over a decade (please don't get me started on the other pizza places in Montclair... we have tried them all for you awful...except for Bivio, which is artisanal and the very best, but is Neapolitan pizza, not American pizza and that is what this review is about) and we love New York Style pizza and--unlike Villa's--Lombardi's is a Jersey pie, but Lombardi's just gets the crust down better, both in texture and in flavor and overall everything works better. The little pepperonis are awesome. Everything is good. During COVID, the employees are wearing masks correctly and I haven't had any crazy waits or anything. Just go here and ignore the naysayers. read more

If dining in, this is one of the best pies in Essex county. Everything else on the menu is good but the pizza is the show. Big bar inside but stick to beer, wine, and single pour drinks. read more

I have visited Lombardi's about fifty times over the past twelve years and opted for takeout tonite. There is no argument that the food is good. It's basically a casual pizza place and sports bar, with Italian dishes thrown on the menu . It is not cheap . A basic pasta dish will run you about $15. It is one of the only casual restaurants that actually charges for every single soda refill. So be aware that the soda tab could possibly add up as quickly as the liquor tab. Combine soda , liquor , and food and "it ain't cheap". It's not a place to come to exercise your mind, because it's extremely noisy inside and you won't be able to hear yourself think . Service is always notoriously bad, though food arrives timely. It seems as if there is always a constant battle to get napkins , silverware, plates, parmesan cheese, and a bill. It actually kind of wares me out each time I go and I wind up feeling tired after I leave . It's also kind of difficult to carry on a normal conversation with the noise levels and poor acoustics. The restaurant is in desperate need of proper supervision by management (if there is any) and owner. The pizza is excellent though, if you like thin crust. I enjoy the buffalo shrimp, pizza, and rigatoni bolognese. The restaurant deserves four stars for food and one star for service. It's also a great place to bring your children if they are brats. As they can run around and scream and will probably go mostly unnoticed in the mayhem. read more

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Great causal restaurant with great thin crust pizza a decent entrees. Friendly staff that all work together to make ur dining experience smooth. Pitchers of beer with a sausage mushroom pie and a garlic artichoke pie were perfect with some leftover for lunch the next day. Salad was enough for two, and still took some home. Also had some boneless wings that were good, hard to make them bad. Will keep going to this place in the future. read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

The Food and Pizza are Great Service is Excellent The Owner is a great Guy He makes sure the Customers have a great experience dining there I'll be back for more read more

Love the pizza and the shrimp scampi with rice is so good! Great spot will be back soon!

Not from the area but stopped in to try it out and the food was fantastic. Great old school vibe inside that would make you think they've been around much longer then 2002. Will def be back to try more although it will be hard not to get the chicken Lombardi again! read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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Great Pizza and very large entree portions. Try the chicken scarpariello. No negative comments

Service was super slow and my carbonara tasted way too creamy and cheesy and not eggy enough. It was more like Mac & cheese and it didn't have a lot of flavor. I would've wanted another drink but no one came around to take my order :( I wanted to like it cause the staff were friendly but the food was not good and the service was so slow even though they were almost empty. read more

The best food ever and evertime you eat at their services. The chef is beyond compare and LOMBARDI S is an only one and only food eatery for people that know and eat food. read more

The food is always good. Service was great. Price point is excellent Portions are large. read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

First of all this place must be for regulars because their sign outside is broken and if not for navigation I would never of found it. I have no clue how they drive in business, but it was decently busy for a Tuesday night, good for them. The atmosphere is pretty average. Feels like a cozier version of a pizzeria with a bar. I went here with a group of five and we all shared the thin crust pizza for starters. I was weary at first, but it was really tasty. I've been eating so much brick oven Napoli style pizza lately that I almost forgot they make delicious American thin crust. Also the bread they give out is very soft, warm, and yummy. I kept my meal simple and ordered the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and it was tasty, loved the dressing. I tasted everyone's meal too. The Lombardi Chicken was super flavorful. The Eggplant Parm was decent. The only meal I didn't really care for was the Spaghetti Puttanesca. Overall this place didn't wow me, but I would go back if asked. read more

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This place is ok. We had a party here many years ago and I hadn't been back in a while. We had a party of 8. The portions were a good size and tasty. Pizza was just ok. Nobody really drank. There was a good crowd inside. Looked like many regulars. read more

Have been wanting to try Lombardi's thin crust pizza for a long time. Heard it rivals Star Tavern. While I find that no place in north NJ can beat Star Tavern at tavern pizza, we enjoyed. Tried two to go, one with Marsala chicken and one cheese. Best part? Pizza wasn't ready and I had a wonderful cocktail at the bar, enjoyed soaking in the nice tavern vibe, and great conversation with bartender and staff. We found the cheese pizza the best back at home, and the chicken one good, loaded with Marsala chicken chunks. Really nice thin, thin crust and flavor. Looking forward to returning with hubby and friends to eat there. read more

Lombardi's Bar & Restaurant - Great cocktails - Italian Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Eating inside the Lombardi's the food is usually terrific, but tonight picking it up to take home was very disappointing. The special Chicken Lombardi which we usually ordered in the restaurant, was a big disappointment taking home as the pasta was very, very dry. We even ordered an extra kid's pink vodka sauce to help keep it moist and flavorful, and that was even drier. It felt like we wasted $40. PS- the take out salad was pathetic too. So sad. Still love their pizza eating at the bar. Pro Tip- eat inside, NEVER pick it up or have delivered. read more