Taking a quick trip to NJ I drove past this gem, noticing the patio we decided to turn around and head in. The place was surprisingly well decorated, the ambiance was simple but sophisticated. The food was great, they serve a spread with the bread which is to die for, and free. The place was a little empty when I came in, it was a weeknight so I don't know if this is unusual, however, quiet is my typical preference. My seafood was perfectly cooked, the waiter attentive, if you are ever in the area I would absolutely recommend this place! read more

Wish I could give zero stars considering I never even got a table WITH RESERVATIONS. On my 60 th birthday with any restaurant at my choice to celebrate I STUPIDLY chose to go to Locale bc I always wanted to try. I called day before and made 8 o'clock reservations for 4 on Sat. night. Got there at 755 and was told "we are behind, may be half hour. A nice lady waiting overheard the hostess and bluntly said to me BS. "I've been eating 50 minutes past my reservation time. We decided to wait (1/2 hr as told) and finally gave up at 920(with 8 o'clock reservations)and drove to Louie's on Avenue that was gracious enough to squeeze us in. I will NEVER go to Locale nor EVER refer them. Terrible, terrible hospitality. read more

The only reason this restaurant is getting 1 star is due to their pretty courtyard and fountain. Aside from this, I would tell you to avoid this place. It was not just that the waiter was disgustingly rude to us, but that when I went to speak to the owner and tell him how we were being treated, he snapped at me and became incredibly obnoxious. As 3 business women, we stopped here to have a drink for happy hour. The bar advertised half price wine. Because it was a beautiful afternoon, we asked to sit on the patio. Out of approximately 25 tables, there were only 3 occupied, so we were not taking up a table that potentially could have been a dinner. We realized the waiter was being rude immediately because he was told to give us the bar prices outside. After enduring this for over an hour, I went to speak to the owner to request that another waiter serve us. He response was, "I gave you the bar prices, what more do you want!!!". He demanded that I tell him what the waiter said to us. I tried to tell him that it was not specifically anything that was said but that it was the attitude and treatment we were receiving. In summary, it is apparent that the bottom line for this establishment is clearly profit only, and not customer service. My advice: steer clear of this restaurant. There are other places just as pretty with staff eager to please and serve paying customers. read more

Have been a fan of this establishment for years. The staff is attentive, friendly and helpful. The food is fresh, tasty and non-routine. If there is an issue with your order , they will address, no questions asked. Vinnie is a pleasure to deal with. read more

Great ambiance, awesome place for sitting outside on a summer afternoon or early evening

COMPLETE CARELESSNESS! My first time at Locale will definitely be my last. I am a recovering alcoholic who hasn't had an alcoholic beverage in 10 years. At this carless establishment I asked for a Sprite to drink. What I was given was most certainly not Sprite. I can only guess that I was given a Vodka with club soda. Whatever it was, it hit me like a ton of bricks and made me instantly sick to my stomach. I lost my balance and nearly fell over. I am completely aware that we are all human and we all make mistakes. However, it was the complete disregard of any empathy that made me upset. When I explained to the manager what had happened, he issued me an empty one-word apology. As he then just stared at me, I asked if that was all he had to say? His response was a shoulder shrug as he uttered the words "What do you want me to do about it?" I explained that the situation could have been a lot worse if that mistake was made and that drink was given to a child instead of a recovering alcoholic. To this the manager had nothing to say, just another empty one-word apology. I will never be returning to this establishment, and I urge you and your families to do the same. read more

Hmmmm. This is a tough one. This place is neither fish nor fowl. Suffering a bit from an identity crisis. Men will feel as though they need to be in a jacket, but once seated realize that lesser dress would have been just fine. I read a review saying that this place is okay for kids - I completely disagree. The food is good, not great. We ate here a while ago and I am a bit delinquent in writing this review, and I barely remember what we had. That's the point. Our dinner was not memorable. The service, however, was great. If that's enough for you, then go for it. But it's a bit on the pricey side for easily-forgettable fare. On the other hand, I remember (and preferred) the bulgogi in the Korean restaurant that previously occupied this space. read more

Food was great - we enjoyed both the appetizer and entrees but service was terrible. We made a reservation for 7:30 and didn't get seated until 8... Our waitress wasn't very attentive and we didn't get our meal until 9:30. read more

My Wife and I decided to finally try this place out after driving past for years and always forgetting about it when we wanted to try a new place. Well, we will never forget about it again and are looking forward to our next time, hopefully soon. We decided to have a cocktail at the bar before sitting down in the dining room. Frank was the bartender that Saturday Night. He introduced himself to us and asked us our names (big points already). I ordered a glass of red wine and he recommended his favorite which was a Montepulciano. It was very good. My wife was unsure and wanted to try something new. He recommended a Caribbean Martini. He said it was his creation and it was absolutely delicious. My wife decided to have another before sitting down for dinner it was so good. Frank was quite busy between other bar patrons and making all the drinks for the dining room as well, yet was always attentive to everyone at the bar and was always smiling and pleasant. One of the better bartenders we have seen in quite a while. We sat down in a very nice dining room with a glass walled wine cellar. Renato was our waiter. We started out by ordering a bottle of Nardi Brunello. They served it to us in very nice, large wine glasses. My wife ordered the shrimp and avocado salad as a starter and I ordered the grilled octopus for my appetizer. Both were fresh and delicious. For our Entrees my wife ordered the Tuna special that was topped off with a wasabi sauce. The tuna was cooked to perfection and the sauce was fantastic. I ordered the Home made Pappardelle with the Duck Ragu. This was one of the most delicious pasta with meat dished I have ever eaten. We finished with two home made desserts: My wife had the Tiramisu, and I had the Coconut Panna Cotta. Outstanding way to finish. It was a busy night and Renato was always there for any request. The service in general was excellent. On our way out, we met Vinny the owner who was gracious, pleasant, and very thankful for our business. We told him that we enjoyed everything from the drinks and food to the service and that we would be returning soon. It's not the cheapest restaurant around, nor is it the most expensive, but it was money well spent! Our only complaint is that we found their wine list to be a bit on the small size for the type of restaurant it is. read more

As a group of 6 people everyone had a different dinner. The service and dinner was excellent. The appearance and hospitality also was a good warm feeling. It was so enjoyable that we even booked a communion party there. Good Luck in your new business I AM SURE IT WILL BE A SUCCESS ROSANNE S read more

Great food excellent service, this place was awsome. My wife and I sat on the patio with the waterfall in the background you couldn't ask for better ambiance. We had the calamari for an appetizer along with complimentary bread with two delicious spreads, as well as olives and chunks of parmigiano reggiano. We ordered a bottle of wine which was amazing, and for our entrees we had the double cut veal chop special and the truffle ravioli. Everything we had was amazing we will definitely be back. Prices are on point for quality of food and service! Definitely worth checking out. read more

Just went there for dinner on Christmas Eve never again 21 dollars for 1 chicken cutlet then they take a chair away from the table that my wife had her stuff meanwhile there was 18 other chairs that they could of taken then I didn't even sign the check yet and there already kicking us out never again my money green like everyone else i don't even want to give them one star they don't even deserve that read more

This place is waaaay overpriced for mediocre food! Firstly, when we went the place was dead. There was only one other table in the entire restaurant. Granted it was a Wednesday night- but still, other restaurants in that area are not as quiet. The Menu lacked a variety of entrees and appealing food. we ended up settling and had two veal scalopine entrees that were just ok because the meat was tough and it was a smaller portion. My husband had the steak which was good, we had two kids meal of chicken nuggets and french fries, 3 cocktail drinks, an appetizer and dessert and the bill came out to $300. I don't mind paying that kind of money for a restaurant where the atmosphere is upscale and lively and the food is phenomenal but for a restaurant that had only 1 other table there, the staff looked like they were ready to go home from the moment we walked in at 7, and the food was just- ok--I dont think so! I get more and better veal and appetizers from my local pizzeria and it is a fraction of the cost . I'm so disappointed and I will never go there again. read more

nice quiet place for lunch. Service is earnest. Food is OK, if a bit dull. Reasonably priced.

Good Food, nice service, nice atmosphere...a bit over priced....and LOUD!

Came to Locale after visiting Sear House () for happy hour where the hospitality & cocktails were on point. Placed our order at Locale and after receiving our entrees we were pretty much ignored. While the tables around my hubby and I filled with multiple diners werr attended to with conversation and full water glasses our requests for fresh ground pepper and parmesan cheese were left hanging in the air while our dishes got cold. The waiter filled every water glass within our radius but failed to notice or care that we might be thirsty. When we called it to his attention when he finally czme ovwr with the pwppwr he disnt even seem bothered by his lack of attn he nonchalantly said he was busy apparently with much more important customers. While the food was delicious the service was appalling even another waiter bringing entrees to a neighboring table noticed that I was juat sitting in front of my entree..waiting. I'm giving three stars bcuz the food was truly delicious but Siftz?? The waiter can take our bag of leftovers feed it to his dog for all I care. He didn't even try to rectify the situation with a heartfelt apology or dessert after we told him of our disappointment read more

This place is great. This is a good date spot! Order the short ribs and you can go wrong with the deserts

The worst dining experience of my life. The service was HORRIBLE!! We were ignored, told it was "too busy" for our order to be put in, and never served our drinks. The waitstaff was arrogant and rude. The food was mediocre at best and highly overpriced. We were treated terribly and with no apology, only smirks and snide remarks. Do not waste you time, money or experience on this classless joke of a place. read more

Disappointing. Food was okay--but for the (high) price we could have had a better meal elsewhere for sure. So not creative. Fun to listen to the first dates happening at nearby tables. Guess it's that kind of place. read more

We totally enjoyed our evening here at Locale Cafe. Sat at the bar for cocktails and had the pleasure of being served by Yanni. What a great personality, introduced himself and his pour was a generous pour. He had vast knowledge of the wines. The rest of us (we were a party of 8) had seasonal cocktails and they said that they were very good too. Moving on to the dining area, food and waitstaff: Food is amazing. Not one of us had any complaints. My wedge salad was on point,m as was everyone else who had appetizers. My hubby had the salmon, he said it was amazing. Girlfriends and their husbands enjoyed their dishes too, short ribs, clams, etc. I had the goat cheese gnocchi and I definitely recommend that. It was DELICIOUS. Even the bread served with a very good Olive tapenade was good as was the hummus. Waitstaff seemed a bit off, we had to track them down a few times, never came back and checked whether we wanted refills on coffee for dessert, etc. If the waitstaff was better, I would've given this a 5 star. But definitely food is a 5 star! read more

Solid Italian restaurant, nice young staff, not too expensive. It's a large place so big parties are almost always present, so atmosphere is not intimate. We've had many dishes with no complaints - not knock your socks off, but always good to very good. New al fresco patio looks great. It suffers to Dimora up the road only because it is so NEW, so CLEAN, so BIG that it is not as intimate and doesn't have a built-in, well-worn ambiance (but that is hard to create). However, the food is about on par and the clientele much less intimidating, and prices more reasonable. Evidently it is a relatively new, and the owners seem dedicated so this place will probably age well. read more

Very disappointing meal on Mother's Day. Told the staff numerous times we had a small window to dine of 2 hours. Meal came late. Service slow. The left overs were carried out of the room with a dirty plate on top before being packed to take home. Half portions for kids not available. There are better choices in the neighborhood. read more

I went to locale this past Saturday evening for the first time, party of 6 for a birthday celebration. Beautiful restaurant, food was nothing more than average, service was the worst I have had in a very long time. We waited about 20 minutes for a glass of water, and when we finally gave our drink order the waiter wasn't able to bring 6 drinks at the same time in order to make a toast, after waiting another 15-20 minutes. We had an 8:00 reservation, and by 8:30 there were only 2 other tables filled in the dining room we were in, if this is how he service is Ican understand why. read more

We love this restaurant. Although there are several spots in the area on a par with Locale, for many reasons this is our favorite -- and we've never been disappointed. Apart from reliably delicious food and exceptional service, the ambiance is just lovely. Somehow Locale can accommodate your desire to dress up and have a romantic evening; grab a casual dinner in jeans with the kids; or have drinks and a bite with friends (fun outdoor patio in nice weather is a bonus). In more than a dozen visits over the years, we have always been greeted with genuine warmth and hospitality -- something you should expect at any restaurant but we find increasingly rare. Some of our favorite dishes include the salmon tartare appetizer, all salads, homemade minestrone, linguine with white clam sauce (actually, all of the pastas are great), duck, seared scallops and lamb chops (minor quibble: the chop portion could be larger for the price). The fresh bread is served with homemade hummus and a tapenade. Lovely wines by the glass and generous cocktails. There are special menus for, say, Valentine's Day, but never pressure to order the prix fixe. Several years ago, when we tried Locale for the first time, we were hoping we'd like it enough to book the private room for an upcoming family party. It was a weeknight, quiet, and we enjoyed our meal. As we were getting ready to leave, the owner invited us to share a grappa. Not exactly the Bergen County experience we were used to. Our snobby relatives loved every morsel at the party we hosted six months later (about 16 people). The food was sensational, along with exquisite desserts (which we usually don't order), and the service couldn't have been more attentive. Thankfully the restaurant scene in this corner of Bergen County is improving steadily, but not necessarily without attitude and hassles. So happy to have Locale in our neighborhood! read more

A three hour disaster! Just as Gilligan set out for a three hour cruise and became shipwrecked my party of four became locked in to a nightmare evening with one bad moment leading to another. Despite a reservation our table was not ready so we retreated to the bar to wait. While there was ample space at the bar it was covered with empty glasses and napkins left over from the prior guests. Despite the bartender, who I later learned was the owner, being there twenty minutes past before we asked him if he could help us with a drink. The woman ordered but he never asked if my friend or I wanted anything giving the feeling that he couldn't be bothered. Fortunately after a 40 minute wait, not 15 as promised, we were led to our table. Clearly our waiter was trained by the owner because he was equally as uninterested. Suffice it to say that after our waiter reluctantly took our order we never saw him again until we asked for our check three hours after arriving. The food would warrant 3.5 stars and the service was a zero so while the average was 1.75 I rounded the rating to two stars. Buyer beware.... this place doesn't care about their patrons so if you arrive with low expectations you will not be disappointed, read more

My friends and I spent New Year's Eve at Locale. The price was reasonable, the food delicious and the service excellent . The entertainment was a singer with a lovely voice who had a huge repertoire of songs in several languages, and you did not have to struggle to speak over the music. In all it was one of my nicest New Year's eve experiences. read more

What a terrible place. The wait staff should be working at Macdonalds. Took our order then never came back. Our empty appetizer plates sat on our table for 20 minutes. Staff passes us constantly and never looked at us. Ending up leaving without our meal. Don't waste your money! read more

We recently had our daughter's Baptism party at Locale. The food and service were exceptional. Some of our favorites were the crab cake and the eggplant rollatini appetizers. For mains, we loved the short ribs (it is a must here!) and the chicken tre fungi. We are still getting calls from our guests raving about the party. Vinnie was a pleasure to work with. He was very accommodating and offered his expertise. We have also dined here for dinner and had an equally great experience. The outdoor patio is a bonus! read more

The valet parking was nice, but not necessary. We wanted to park and walk; why pay to have someone park your car when you can do it yourself and walk maybe 30 feet or so? When we went in, the atmosphere and decor were very nice and cozy. The hostess was very nice and it seemed to be a great start to a good evening of food... We were waiting for our server for a while, about 30 minutes before we got our menus. Our server seemed to be in a hurry so he was curt, and somewhat rude (he might have been the manager as he was in a suit and tie, but there were two men in suits so I wasn't sure). The actual items on the menu sounded good but were uninspired. I ordered the night's special ravioli of duck confit in a brown butter sage sauce. After our server took our menus away, i decided i also wanted a salad so I asked him if I could look at the menu again. Thinking that ordering more food, i.e. adding to the tab, adding to his tip, would be a good thing, I was surprised when our server asked me why I wanted to see the menu. I said that I would like to order a salad. He turned around, took a salad off of a tray, and thrust it in my face, asked if I would like this salad. Put off, I just asked him for the salad with the pancetta (from what I remembered from the menu). He got me a wedge salad with bacon instead. Not exactly what I wanted.. The cauliflower special soup was not bad, the french onion soup, which I didn't try, was too salty as some of the other people at my table said. Before the main course came out, I went to the bathroom and while on my way there, many other servers rushed out of the kitchen and almost bumped into me. THen, I saw our server/manager-person yelling about something and stomping around (didn't want to get in his way!) Our main course arrived. I ordered the duck confit ravioli and my mother next to me ordered lobster ravioli. While all the ravioli in her dish was lobster, half of mine were duck and the other half lobster. I tried the halibut special which someone else at my table ordered and found the sauce to be overpowering and the fish overcooked. I didn't actually see the wine list, but I've heard that it's not bad. Unfortunately, the restaurant did not have the wine that he ordered. Instead, our server brought out another wine that wasn't even produced from the same type of grape! At least they picked one that was the same color--red. But still, that's ridiculous! I was just very disappointed with the quality of food that was served as well as VERY disappointed with the service. We were a party of 11 and felt very neglected. read more

I had dinner here with my family last night. Its Mother's Day weekend, so of course the restaurant was packed with larger groups throughout dinner. We were seated inside (the weather was iffy, but I did get a quick peak at the tent outside and it looked beautiful). The food was really tasty- I had the mesclun greens salad and black linguine, which had generous chunks of crab meat and shrimp. My family had shrimp almandine, the parpadelle with lamb, filet mignon and zuppa di pesce and and everyone enjoyed their meals. I see many people commenting on the bizarre service here, and I have to say its true. Its very slow (which is probably fine if you don't want to be rushed), but there were times the waiter seemed to either disappear or forget about us, but I couldn't tell if this was just because it was packed. Also, my sister never got the tea she ordered, and it was on the bill at the end of the evening. However, the food was great, so I would definitely come back. read more

I went there for lunch. The place was beautifully decorated for the holidays, the fireplace was going, the staff was wonderful and the meal delicious. Will definitely go back. read more

This review is based solely on the black linguini that my family ordered and brought back to me. It is absolutely delicious and I've never had anything like it before. I recommend that you order it! read more

I had an event this past weekend at this restaurant and i have to say it was a great experience. The food was amazing and service was top notch. My guest were pleased with my selection. Go visit, you will love it. read more

Excellent Gluten- free Capellini with lobster and shrimp in garlic onion reduction ! Refreshing arugula and watermelon salad !

what a great place to have an event! I had my daughter's baby shower there on Sunday, the staff was great, the food was excellent, and Renato went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. I highly recommend this place. read more

We must have had the same waiter I read about in other reviews. He was obviously not into serving the diners at his tables. Food is pretty good but service is seriously lacking. After we were seated and given menus, asked if we wanted something to drink-we said we'd start with water, the waiter disappeared for an abnormally long time. When the waiter returned, he asked again if we wanted something to drink and we ordered drinks. He then disappeared again for an unusually long time. Bread was served with two toppings or dips- not sure what they were though as we weren't told. When the waiter finally returned with our drinks, he quickly disappeared again. After another long wait, we placed our order which was served in a reasonable amount of time by a server not the waiter. The ravioli was definitely home-made and very good as was the marinara. The other pasta was very al dente. Waiter did not return to ask about our food or if we wanted additional drinks. After the dishes were removed, we waited again for the waiter. He returned with dessert menus and we said we weren't interested but he dropped them on the table and left anyway. After a while, another server came to our table and asked if we wanted anything. We took the check and left. read more

I have read with interest the other reviews. My family has been coming to this restaurant for quite a while and perhaps when they first opened there were some kinks to work out but currently this is our go to restaurant for a very pleasant meal and experience. The staff is obliging and not stuffy. The waiters are friendly and attentive. The appetizers are great and the entrees consistently excellent. We have lived in this town for close to 20 years and tried almost all the restaurants in the area. From the easy parking all the way to desert, if you are willing to pay more than for burgers or pizza this is the place to go. read more

New Year's Eve price fix was a ripoff. Bland food, slow service. $268 per couple!!!!!!!!! And they promised dancing and dining in heated tent. Was like a meat locker. Seating was at 9, main course came at 11pm. Stay away from this place. read more

let me start with the good. the two things i will say are 1) we were the first dinner party there so we did have to wait long for our food. the table next to ours came later must have waited an hour for their food. 2) the shrimp and avocado salad was good. now onto the bad...and there were many: 1) our first waiter could not have been more rude. returning every 2 minutes to remind us that we haven't made up our mind and made a huge fuss about us ordering from their special menu. we ordered a bottle of wine which did not show up for 20 minutes. then we asked another waiter to serve us instead. 2) my escargots tasted like it was treated with chemicals. the dish had this awful after taste and i had to gaggle my mouth with water afterwards. when i told this to the waiter, he did not offer to replace my appetizer 3) we ordered our steaks medium rare and they came out well done. when we asked for a replacement, they sent back steaks that were medium well. at that point, we gave up. 4) our scallop dish tasted like it was soaked in baking soda beforehand. when we mentioned this to the owner, he defended the dish. we were just baffled that this is one of the best selling dish as he claimed. These weren't even dry scallops and they had the nerve of charging ~30 for them. 5) after we complained the above (to be fair, we didn't complain about #1), the owner admitted they were short staffed and the chef was not present. he promised to offer us desserts which did not happened because they were so short staffed. clearly a management issue if this place couldn't staff enough people. Would have been ok if they had warn us and managed our expectation but i felt it was dishonest of them to not disclose and then after we complained, did not do anything to attempt to win us back. What a shame because the restaurant had a great ambience and decoration but did not have the food or service to back it up. read more

I had an informal business lunch here yesterday. Three of us were coming from Long Island, and were meeting with someone in Orange County. I asked him for suggestions of somewhere closer to him, but between the two locations, and he suggested Locale, and a few others. This menu looked good online, so we agreed to meet here. When we arrived, we asked for a larger table, so that we could spread out a bit, since we had some reports to go over. They were more than accommodating, and gave us our pick of tables. It was just before noon, so we had the place mostly to ourselves. We found a suitable table, and were greeted by our server, Hernan. Bread was brought over right away. Focaccia and more of a rustic loaf, along with tapenade and hummus. Fresh, but nothing out of the ordinary. I've been on an octopus kick lately, and having seen it on their menu online, I knew that I was going to start with that. Another one of us also ordered it, and my partner ordered the smoked salmon and trout. The other party skipped the appetizer. The octopus was wonderful. Plenty of meat, and wonderful arugula and radicchio. It pair very well with the citrus infused olive oil. Thoroughly enjoyable, and, at $11, was nicely priced. i didn't see it on the dinner menu, but I don't know why it wouldn't be available then, but it would probably be a few dollars more if available. My partner was complimentary about the smoked fish. I stayed with seafood, and got the sea scallops at $18 ($29 on the dinner menu, but I'm not sure if it's the same quantity. This came with 5 or 6 nice sized scallops, which was plenty). The scallops were arranged in a circle, and a nice portion of white beans and sauteed escarole comes in the center of the plate. The blood orange sauce was dotted between the scallops, so you could actually not have any sauce if that was your preference, and you wouldn't have to order it without sauce. A little bit with each bite heightened the taste of the scallops, without overpowering them. Cooked perfectly, and delicious. Someone else ordered the ravioli, homemade, and filled with 4 different cheeses, and enjoyed it with the accompanying sauce. My partner, a big fan of swordfish, told our waiter that it was cooked just right, and was nice and moist. Our 4th, a vegetarian, got the eggplant ciabatta panini. He thought it was excellent, particularly the goat cheese. They had plenty of specials, and an ample amount of choices on the menu. All of the dishes that we saw others eating looked great! One table all ordered the burger, and it looked quite large. Quite a few people ordered the homemade black linguine. If you aren't watching carbs, and don't mind squid ink, it looked amazing. My partner ordered a tartufo, and some coconut panna cotta for all of us to share. Excellent, although nothing out of the ordinary. The rest of the items are the usual dishes you would expect---tiramisu, cheesecake, creme brulee, etc., but it was interesting to note that you could order select cheeses, including parmigiano reggiano, which is a nice change. Coffee was great, which isn't so unusual, but I drink it black, and without sweetener, so I really have an appreciation for a good cup of coffee. I have been let down quite a few times by a less than stellar cup of coffee after a great meal, so this made my meal complete. As for the rating...I had just given out my first 5 star review on my last restaurant review, and for that reason only, I didn't want to go 5 stars again. But, honestly, I completely enjoyed my meal, and so did the others. The service was tremendous, especially Hernan. He had patience with us while we had some business to go over. He gave us our space, yet maintained eye contact with us so we could let him know when we were ready to order. Our water glasses were constantly filled, yet somehow you don't notice them doing so, which is a good thing. I honestly can't justify giving them less than 5 stars. We aren't really in the neighborhood, but we do have clients in NJ, and it's very close to the GW Bridge, so I'm sure we will return. If it turns out that we just hit them on a good day, I'll amend my review. Until now, I highly recommend Locale! read more