I started ordering this fantastic pizza they make called Pizza Rustica. It has shrimp, bacon, sliced tomato, garlic, and pignoli nuts. Such a great combination. I never had thought about shrimp and bacon together but it is excellent. read more

LoMonaco's - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

We met a good friend of our there for lunch today. The food was absolutely superb. I had the filet of sole over spinach with lemon sauce, my husband had the scallops scampi and our friend has the Shrimp Salad. So delicious. I was impressed that both the portions and the price was very appropriate for lunch. Our waiter was very engaging, he knew we had not seen each other for a long time and so did not rush us but made sure we were well taken care of. Such a great experience. We will definitely be there again. Thanks so much! read more

Love this place, food is always outstanding!! And it's my go to for Italian comfort food, when I don't want to cook myself! The veal, salad dressing and garlic knots are my favorites. read more

Came here for my husband's birthday 12/10/15 and were given a small table off in a weird corner near the bathroom. Food was great (I had the eggplant parm), but took awhile to come out, especially while waiting for our salads...on a Thursday. Hand painted murals on the walls. Was given a gift card for Christmas, so we will be back. read more

This place is incredible. My girlfriend and I have been coming here for a few years, and our waiter, Bosco, never disappoints. The price is so reasonable for such amazing food! The muscles with red sauce are delicious, and the veal is to die for! All of their dishes are just out of this world. Highly recommend! read more

Came here for my mom's birthday dinner and food was excellent! We got an appetizer for the table of fried calamari and each of us ordered entrees...but it felt like we had a 5 course meal because all of our dishes came with side salad and they also served 2 different bread baskets! Service was also fantastic! Will definitely be returning... read more

LoMonaco's - Fra diavlo dish! Prepare to feel the heat with this one! - Italian Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

HORRIBLE HORRIBLE SERVICE!! Let me just start by saying that I never take the time to review anything, but with how poor this service was, I HAD to share. I just recently had a wedding reception in Branford. Trying to keep the catering in the area, in February this year we went to Lo Monaco's to try the food and discuss with someone about our event. Our waitress took our order--she recommended how much to get, etc. She asked us for a delivery time and we told her 4:45 to begin. Fast forward to June. My event was on the 29th, so on the 6th of June at 12:44pm I confirmed our delivery and changed the time to 5:15, as our guest wouldn't be arriving until then. THEN, just to be sure, I called again on the 28th, spoke to a girl to confirm at 5:15 delivery time. On the 29th, I get a call from someone in their kitchen. Mind you, I'm getting my hair done. They tell me that they can't deliver past 4 pm. Then the OWNER gets on the phone and starts arguing with me, telling me he can't do anything later than 4 and that they don't even deliver (not what your wait staff said to me months ago though). Then, when I expressed how frustrated I was, he told me he couldn't do anything for me. At 4pm, his delivery driver shows up with our food and some "hot boxes." We were in the middle of getting our pictures done so I had to excuse myself, as the bride, to go pay the delivery driver. Then he had the audacity to tell us we had to return the hot box, but not on Monday because they were closed. We live over an hour away so I told him that I'd return it when we'd return it. When we went to go serve the food? Cold. Some of my GUESTS had to help me heat it up in the venue oven. Embarrassing. All they did was knock off $10 and didn't even apologize. Food wasn't even that great. When I asked why his wait staff didn't know that they don't deliver past 4 he said that he doesn't know, he'd talk to them. As a former restaurant worker, you don't share your issues with your customers. If they pay for you to deliver at a certain time, you figure it out. Especially for someone who dumped a shit ton of money on your mediocre food. read more

Ok, so I guess it's just me and my friends and family who has had such poor luck at LoMonaco's. I read all the reviews and kept thinking this can't be the same place. A group of us were there in February and it was the biggest disappointment but because this was always my favorite shoreline restaurant (until February), we all decided to write it off to a bad night and give it another go. Nope, it was even worse than our visit in February. The salmon was amazing but that was about all. The rest of us were disappointed. No one is going to tell me that was real sauce. It was cold and had no taste. Not even a parsley flake and definitely no garlic. I know it had to come from a jar and an obscure jar of tomato sauce; not one that could pass for Italian sauce. It didn't even come close. I do want to say the service as always was wonderful. Vincent, our server was accommodating and friendly even though he was quite busy and the lovely woman who greeted us was just that; lovely. These two folks are not enough to bring us back to our once favorite restaurant especially when there are such great restaurants on our shoreline, i.e., Rossittos. Real Italian food. read more

This is for pizza takeout. We picked up a Vegetarian pizza and a house salad. The pizza was delicious - highly recommended. The salad was not as amazing but ok. Happy to find something tasty in the area, which can be surprisingly difficult. read more

LoMonacos has always been one of my favorite Italian restaurants. We have ordered takeout since the covid started. They just opened dine in last weekend. I have to say the food is still good. Like many restaurants there prices have gone up a lot. I do understand restaurants are hurting. They used to give you bread garlic knots and olives, they are gone. If you order chicken parmigiana it was served with salad and a side of pasta. No longer the case. You get a small salad and no pasta. I understand the price increase but don't raise the price and take parts of the meal away. We were very disappointed. read more

It's amazing to me how many people rather complain than compliment ,especially during these trying times in a middle of a pandemic! LoMonaco's has been established since 1987 serving Branford with amazing food at an affordable price . A family owned business that has dedicated their LIFE to this restaurant. If you got a bad take out you should of called instead of putting negative reviews on social media OR maybe tried cooking yourself! read more

Best pizza in the Branford area and very reasonable in price. Pizza is only for take out. Vinny the owner is a really nice guy and very personable with his patrons. I recommend for the pizza but I have not had thier dinners to date. read more

I'm so happy we found Lo Monaco's in a review for another restaurant. The boy was craving steak on his birthday, and I'm a vegetarian, so I wasn't really feeling going to a steakhouse this weekend. So after much searching, Lo Monaco's fit the bill. We were able to make a reservation for two, and we arrived to a decently sized parking lot. Like many restaurants on this street, the parking lot was near full, so I suggest arriving a little earlier (like 5:30) for dinner so you don't have to duke it out with other diners. That said, the parking lot gets packed for good reason. We were seated immediately, water glasses filled, garlic knots and olives placed on the table, and our waitress came by to ask if we'd like drinks right on time. The boy and I both had little bottles of sparkling wine. The ambience built up at this point was pretty good, but I was a little sad that our table felt a touch cramped. On the other hand, this place does have ambience, for sure... I LOVED the interior design. Our waitress came back soon after with our bread and recited the specials for us, many of them sounded good! Anyway, we both had salads with their house vinaigrette and warm bread with olive oil to start... I thought the salad was good, nice and fresh, and the dressing was tasty but still mild. I finished off the whole plate. The boy went with the Bistecca al Ferri (New York Strip Steak grilled to your preference and served with vegetables) for his entrée. At $21, his plate was a good value because you get a choice of a pasta side as well - he got a huge bowl of linguine with marinara. The steak was enormous and the sides looked tempting. He was a trooper and happily polished off most of his plate. He actually had to take some home; this never happens. I ordered the Cappellini al Fungo Selvatico (Wild mushrooms, fresh basil, shallots and scallions served in a filetto di pomodoro sauce over angel hair pasta), but without the mushrooms, they just aren't my favorite. Now this was really a treat for me. I'm so used to having pasta dishes that are basic - pasta, sauce, and cheese. Nothing wrong with that, but I like a little variety tossed into my grains. This dish was really phenomenal, the red sauce being the star of the show. A touch sweet, but really just divine. It's clear they are not using the same old tomatoes everyone else uses. We were far too full for dessert, but we'll order some next time - there WILL be a next time :) I'm so happy to have found a nice, reasonable Italian place close by, with a huge selection and fair prices. We'll be back sooner than later. Thank you, Lo Monaco's, for a great first visit! read more

Check my pictures :) 27 years in business and Business is Great!! Wow was so impressed with the ambiance food presentation and the flavors having a party in my mouth!! Thank you!! read more

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Yum! Always delicious and professional. Have gone here about 4 or 5 times and it's always consistent

My pizza was a mess. It was greasy. It was floppy. It was irregular in shape. The cheese even fell off it. New Yorkers would hate this pizza. But that's why I liked it. It's typical New Haven style pizza. New Yorkers mistakenly think neat clean pizza = good pizza. That's very typical of them: all about the looks and very little about substance. One good thing about Lo Monaco is that they don't subscribe to the Napoli pizza club. What is the Napoli pizza club? Napoli is the name of a popular food distributor based in Cheshire CT that supplies to approximately 50% of all local pizza joints. They're like the Sysco of local pizza ingredients. Blah. Unfortunately that causes many pizzas to lack individuality and taste exactly the same. The way I can tell these guys don't subscribe to the Napoli club is because I spotted them using Liuzzi and Calabro cheeses. I could be wrong but I don't think those brands are part of the Napoli club. That's probably because they're too expensive. The good things in life usually are. The take out entrance in the back is impressive. When I visited, there were many customers coming and going and getting all types of foods: pizza, dinners, grinders, etc. I never knew this place was so busy and I must have driven by it a thousand times. So based on my first experience, I would pick up another pizza again. read more

This was my first time at Lo Monaco's and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and the attentive waitstaff. My mother and I like to go out at least once a week - it's our special time together, so we want to ensure we go to a place that satisfies our tastebuds and has a pleasant atmosphere that allows for easy conversation. We're very picky when it comes to Italian food and were a bit apprehensive, but willing to take the plunge and try a "new place." We found the ingredients to be fresh and each dish had vibrant, authentic flavor. The food was prepared "just right" - meaning you didn't necessarily need to add any salt/pepper. We all know the salty taste some sauces can have, but Lo Monaco's recipe was prepared wonderfully. Not to mention the relatively inexpensive prices compared to other acclaimed Italian restaurants along the shoreline. We will be returning next week and can't wait. read more

Small, intimate... There were not many people there and I can't figure out why, other than maybe not too many people know about it?? The food was incredible from the appetizers through desert. I had a special for my main course, fish (it was a while ago, I can't remember what kind) with risotto. The risotto was possibly the best I have ever had. The drinks were very good as well. I will absolutely go back again! read more

I have been here plenty of times and absolutely love the food and atmosphere! It is so peaceful and the service is very attentive! I have never had a bad meal! This is the place to go for good Italian food! read more

First time, but definitely not the last! Selected for a family pre-Christmas luncheon. Five of us enjoyed appetizers, entrees, Peroni and wine, dessert and meal was delicious and very affordable. Calamari was all rings and cooked to perfection. Broccoli rabe with sausage was shared and cleaned the plate. Eggplant parm was such a generous portion the three of us will be eating again as leftovers. Key lime pie? Yes, unexpected, but so delicious. Cannoli were outstanding. The service was perfectly timed throughout the meal and just when it felt right for the next course it was at the table. Bravo, and see you again soon! read more

superb service, great food and they were fabulous when catering to my food intolerances ( gluten and soy). I'm so appreciative of that. win, win, win! read more

Second try with Lo Monaco's on a Friday night and not for take-out. Well... Kind of disappointed. I took then home special the veal Lo monacos and taste was bland with eggplant rolatinis on top straight out from the fridge (cold on the top of my meat , not my taste ) My wife's entree was also quite bland with a lemon/white wine sauce that was not "lemony" at all... And where is the dessert menu ?? Well, overall disappointed as compared to what was expected. Being in Branford, i will go to Brunello's instead read more

We had an amazing meal here last night. We will be busy on Tuesday, so we took our 94-year old mother and our sister out for dinner to celebrate Valentines' Day. The food was delicious. The salad with fresh mixed greens, balsamic vinaigrette and crumbled gorgonzola was perfect. The Italian bread was fresh and we had the option of butter or olive oil. (I was a little disappointed there were no garlic knots, but it wasn't a biggie.) My papardelle with lobster sauce was thick with picked lobster claw meat, probably from 4 or 5 lobsters. The flavor was perfect, the pasta silky. Had enough leftover for dinner tonight. Two in our party ordered the special pork chops and were pleased. The chops were 2 inches thick--like mini roasts!--in a wonderful brown shitake mushroom sauce. Again with the leftovers! The one disappointment was my husband's dinner. He ordered gnocchi Bolognese, but they brought cavatelli. He was fine wtih accepting the different pasta, but the sauce was not as meaty and nor as savory as he had hoped. All in all, though, the meal was really good and the prices very reasonable. We will surely go back! read more

Great food and the best prices you'll find anywhere. I have never been disappointed with the quality or service at LoMonaco's. We just picked up a medium 1 topping pizza, 2 grinders, a bowl pasta fagioli soup, and 1 litter bottle of Foxon Park soda for just $26 and it was delicious. Again, their prices are unbeatable. I can name several other places that would cost me $50 easy for the items I mentioned above in 1 single order. read more

Lo Monaco's is an excellent meal with attentive wait staff. Reasonably priced, good portion sizes, and you never leave hungry! The atmosphere is relaxed and romantic. If you decide to order pizza to-go try the #9 - just pizza perfection (white pie with garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, bacon, and mushrooms). Drooling thinking about that garlicky pie. Mangía! read more

Hard to beat the value and quality of food. The pizza is the best deal in town, I thought they made a mistake charging me! I have never been disappointed - keep up the good work! read more

Three and half stars, the 4 of us stopped on a Friday evening for one of our favorite take out Pizzas not to be no Pizzas served in the restaurant on weekends Okay lets roll with it 2 pasta dinners and 2 steak dinners when in Rome stick with the Pasta the steak dinners were very good but not great nor should it be it's a pasta house our bill was reasonable about $100 for 4 not bad but Remember when in Rome. read more

First & last time. I went to LoMonoco's on Feb. 13 and reserved a table for the next evening meal at 7:00 pm. It was Valentines Day and I was on a first date with a VERY special lady. We arrived at 6:55 and were told that our table wasn't ready and we would have to wait in their already crowded vestibule with almost no place to sit. Finally, around 7;30 we were told a table was ready for us and we were led to a different table than the one I reserved. The table we were led to was in a very small cubby hole type niche which was very tight and uncomfortable. I then noticed another table being cleared and requested that one and the restaurant complied however it was not the table I reserved and in a different room. Twice I checked the table I initially reserved and saw a very bored looking gentleman holding his head on his hand and a lady who was very busy fingering a cell phone. Well, we finally ordered and received our meal, it arrived in a timely manner, was somewhat attractive and the taste was about average. The big surprise of the meal came a few hours later with both of us receiving a severe attack of Montezuma's revenge, running to the john every ten or fifteen minutes till 3:30 am just isn't fun. I contacted the owner and told him of our experience, and he seem to just shrug it off and said everything was fresh and nobody else complained. Well, they say you get what you pay for and slow service and a mediocre dinner is one thing but both of us being SICK with diarrhea half the night was more than we bargained for. Eat here at your own RISK. read more

the worst food ever dry dishwashing pasta no sauce no flavor we ordered roasted chicken it was boiled chicken no flavor they ripped me off bad read more

I've driven by at least a million times - never even thought to go here. I'm sorry I didn't - now I'm leaving Connecticut and this place could have been a 'fav' all these years! Food was excellent! I had the special (chilean sea bass) OMG it was superb! Veggies were done perfectly - and those sinful bread knots - If you are undecided, you should go here. bon appetit read more

The service was great, very friendly and punctual. The garlic knots and olives on our table right off the bat was a nice touch too. But the dinner was just...well..utterly disappointing. All three at my table felt the same. Just no flavor or even effort in preperation whatsoever. You go to an Italian Ristorante for good food, good service doesn't make good food. read more

Honestly.....More food from this place goes on my table than food from my own kitchen!!! Wonderful & BIG dinner menu. I agree with a previous poster..."Don't try the carbonara..you may not EVER try anything else"! The make a great apizza also, call it in as you like it....ex, light sauce, well done, crispy bacon....They pay attention to detail. Prices are very reasonable for this true "GEM" on the hill.... GREAT job Vin!!!!! read more

Everything is expertly prepared...the food is delicious and satisfying...reasonable priced for the high quality of the prepared dishes. Great pizza,and stuffed breads too. One of my favorite stops on the shoreline, we'll worth the trip. read more

Great place! excellent menu that is really well priced which is hard to come by these days. Good mixed drink list as well as wine list. Authentic Italian cuisine in New Haven county! read more

Totally disappointed cannot believe I ordered a pizza and found a piece of hair in it as a call the owner to complain he told me that it's impossible and he would not give me any money back I'll do not recommend this place I had to throw my whole pizza away totally disgusting bad management keep away read more

Good food, Good Service, Very reasonable prices. Went for lunch. Shared stuffed mushrooms, escarole soup, baked eggplant and a bottle of Syrah red wine. Bill total was $49. I enjoyed the sauce on the eqqplant which came with side of ziti. Glad we decided to try this place. Looking forward to returning and trying some of the other dishes. read more

Oh my god. This place is a funeral home that serves Italian? This place is gross with fruit flies, stains in the carpet, and out dated furnishings. The food had zero taste and please, for the love of god, dont drown the plates in soo much cheese. Cheese isn't a flavor folks. read more

Actually, I'm probably unqualified to write this review. The first time we went, I had the carbonara, and it was absolutely exceptional. So, when we went back, I had the carbonara, and it was still a frabjous joy. And the next time we went, it was specifcally for the carbonara, which was wonderful. And the time after that -- well, the pattern was established. Lo Monaco's carbonara rocks, rules, and wins. Their caesar salads are pretty good, too. But I can't offer an opinion on any other dish. The restaurant is cozy without being too crowded, the staff are very professional and warm, and the drinks are awfully good. Just don't try the carbonara first off, or you may never get to try anything else. read more

Some restaurants are memorable for reasons unrelated to the restaurant. LoMonaco's is just a quick drive up the road from Short Beach, where I spent a weekend in the summer of '98. I was walking down the beach and this absolutely beautiful woman caught my eye - and I hers, apparently. She made sure to come by where I was sitting to say hi and let me know how hot she thought I was (note to women: do that more often!) Unfortunately, I turned out to be 12 years younger than her...And I lived in another country...But we did talk about how I had dinner at LoMonaco's the night before. I recall nothing of the restaurant, but it must have done something for me, no? read more

I take out from here once a week. Subs and stuffed breads are by far the most affordable in Branford. Pizza and entrees are also very delicious. Convenient, affordable, and delicious. read more