@il_leone_nj completely blew me away. You can feel the intentionality the second you walk in!!…read more The space is warm, stylish, & the vibes are truly impeccable. It does not feel like a strip mall spot at all... it feels like a hidden date-night gem. The owners, B & Izzy, are so welcoming, and their hospitality really sets the tone for the whole experience. The staff was just as friendly and made us feel taken care of all night. Now let's talk FOOD...We started with the garlic shrimp appetizer and I'm still thinking about that sauce it was so flavorful, garlicky & perfectly cooked. The spicy rigatoni had the perfect kick and was one of those dishes you don't want to stop eating. Honestly, everything we had was incredible. Obsessed is an under statement for their pizza. So DELISH! I also love our chicken entree, the pollo martini. It was such a delicious sauce and I loved that they served this with a sautéed garlic spinach! For dessert we had a warm banana bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and it legit brought me back to life. Quite literally obsessed! I will be thinking about this dessert for a while! It's BYOB, the prices are reasonable for the quality, and the whole experience just hits. Definitely a spot we'll be coming back to!

First I would say the staff was welcoming and friendly. The food was good although some dishes were…read morenot as expected (which can be a good thing). The rice balls were made with black rice-quite a surprise when we cut into them! The pulpo was tender and excellent. Both appetizers were very good. If you are looking for spicy Fra Diavolo, I would suggest mentioning to the waiter you want some heat. The Shrimp Fra Diavolo was very good but not at all spicy. The mushroom risotto was very good as well. One of the specials was chicken cutlets with fresh tomatoes, olives, with a light sauce and topped with shaved mozzarella. This was served with roasted potatoes on the side, and it was excellent. The chicken was so flavorful and so tender you could cut it with a fork. Two of us had this special and it did not disappoint. We ended the night with coffee and two desserts. The creme brulee had a coffee flavor and was good. We also ordered a chocolate souffle, which definitely did not resemble anything close to a souffle. The flavor was fine but it flat, almost like a pancake. It was closer to a flatter molten lava cake. (Guess we should have been suspicious when we didn't have to wait extra time for the souffle.) Now for our main gripe. When one of us asked if the special chicken could be made without garlic (due to an allergy), the server said 'of course - nothing is impossible'. This was a lovely response to the request. However, when we received the check, there was a $4.00 charge for 'no garlic'. Really? We eat out in all sorts of restaurants from casual to very high end, and never have we ever seen this. This very small charge left a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended). For this reason we gave only three stars - nice ambiance inside and outdoor seating under a gazebo, pleasant, friendly service, and good food, but the extra charge for omitting an ingredient was very disappointing.

My wife and I absolutely love their eggplant parm and Margherita pizza. We've had other dishes, but…read moreour latest dinner was our favorites. We are never disappointed. Service is excellent and their home made rolls are incredible. The restaurant is a gem.

On a recent vacay to visit family, we met up with some north Jersey cousins for dinner at Via…read moreSposito. I loved that they accommodated our group of 12 with just a few days' notice. They're an Italian restaurant with a good selection of dishes to meat various diets: salads, pastas, meat dishes, etc. The food was also pretty good, and service was fine. Better Italian food can be found in NJ, not too far away, but the location, quality and price point served our purposes. The servings are generous. I had the "Sunday Supper" (pasta served with red sauce, braciole, sausages, meatballs, and ribs), which I shared with my husband, and even so we had plenty to take home for another meal! I found the decor unusual in that there was a noticeable religious motif. In fact, a life size statue of the a Virgin Mary stood in the corner behind our table observing our little reunion. Odd for a restaurant, but it made for some fun comparing of notes afterwards.

4/10/26 - Been a bit since I did a review so I figured it was time. I was driving by Camillo's in…read moreSayreville, NJ and haven't had their pizza in quite some time so why not? For those of you who have not been there, Camillo's is more of an Italian restaurant, than a pizzeria. It has a pretty large seating area in the restaurant part of the building. It looks to my untrained eye that they had some extra room and decided to put it in a pizza oven near the entrance. From what I've described, I had the feeling this was going to be a disaster. But there was also a lot of foot traffic and diners in there which always make you optimistic. I ordered a large Sicilian (square) pie and a large pepperoni (round) pie. The crust on the sicilian pie had that great sicilian pizza flavor. It is thick and very chewy, but surprisingly light. If you are a cheese and sauce lover, this pie is for you. The cheese is fresh and tasty and is definitely premium. The sauce is well seasoned and very tangy and delicious. My opinion is they should probably cook it a little more because with all that cheese and sauce, there's not a lot of crispiness on any of the crust. I'd probably recommend eating it with a knife and fork because it can be that messy. The pepperoni pie that I ordered what was surprisingly thick. Again, this offering is of the thick and hearty variety. This pie, however, was not soggy and the slices stand up. It's not exactly crispy and crunchy, but it's not limp. The sauce is definitely the star here. Overall I was pleasantly surprised. I want to go back and sample some of the restaurant offerings. Overall Rating: B

Overall we like Camillo's in Sayreville. The prices are fair and they have some delicious dishes…read more The best dish is the tortellini in vodka sauce. Their vodka sauce is FANTASTIC! We also love the cheese ravioli and lasagna. My husband enjoys their cheesesteak, but thought the Italian hot dog was TERRIBLE! It had no potatoes, barely any peppers, and no onions. It was very bland! The goat cheese and mushroom ravioli is just ok. There wasn't much goat cheese flavor, and all you can taste are the mushrooms. Skip the dessert here the chocolate cake was dry as can be, and the cheesecake was just ok. I recommend Camillo's in Sayreville!

Found this place for a birthday celebration. From outside we could not find the main entrance but…read moreonce inside we had a great experience from the service provided by Juan to the delicious food. We were a party of 8 and ordered from the family style menu (5 appetizers, salad, 2 pastas, 1 beef, 1 chicken, 1 fish, dessert). Everything was tasty especially the balsamic calamari and the anise mussels. We loved the 3 cheese gnocchi and the penne carbonara. There is a great selection to choose from. It was plentiful and we could not finish it all. Will definitely be back!

Okay, I'll be honest: this place needs a serious overhaul. Robert Irvine, please help them out! We…read morewaited at the hostess stand while three men rushed around, taking orders, bringing food, clearing tables, and resetting them. It was clear they were severely understaffed, and we were largely ignored until one of them finally said, "I will check on your table." The food was okay. The bread? Their stock answer was humorous after hearing it recites by all three servers: "It's in the oven" I guess practice makes perfect. Standard salad with balsamic, same as every mid pizza/food place I have been before. Red snapper special was way tough on the outside, like chewing leather that you never would really want to eat?! Best thing here was the pork chop, sweet spicy peppers, with onions yummy brown sauce, although the pork was a tad overdone. Overall, this place is a pass.

Absurdly good. This place has been a staple in the area for a long time, and they really make the…read moremost of their space. The strip mall itself isn't anything special, but the surrounding area is beautiful , and once you're inside, the restaurant feels warm and inviting. The food is fantastic, and the variety on the menu is impressive. The chef clearly knows what they're doing because every single dish we tried was genuinely delicious. It's the kind of spot where you can't go wrong: date night, dinner with friends, or anything in between. We brought our own bottle and had a great time. Our waiter was super knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. The staff even joked around with me when I forgot my to‑go bag, and yes, I absolutely took it home because the food is that good. I also appreciate that they don't act like offering takeout is beneath them; even the takeout bag was nice. I honestly wish my meals were this good every night. I hope everyone who works here is paid well and enjoys what they do, because they're running the place exactly how a restaurant should be run. It feels like a true community staple somewhere that transports you a bit and makes the whole experience feel special. Lovely all around.

Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall is one of those places you almost don't want to tell people…read moreabout--because then you'll have a harder time getting a table. Luca's Ristorante is a hidden gem that proves you should never judge a restaurant by its parking lot. Not long after we were seated, we were greeted by Luca -- a Luca and not the Luca. Still he was warm, welcoming, and genuinely passionate about his restaurant, taking the time to walk us through the menu and checking in throughout the meal without ever hovering. Luca's has a partial liquor license, offering a modest wine selection but is otherwise being BYOB. As we were told with a smile, they're much more interested in what's ON your plate than what's IN your glass. We started with two excellent appetizers. The arancini, already a family favorite, were crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and disappeared from the table faster than anyone was willing to admit. The Polpette, Luca's signature meatballs with pine nuts and raisins, certainly earned the praise they've received from NJ.com as some of the best in the state. Even if raisins in meatballs sound unusual, trust the process. The restaurant proudly calls itself "A Taste of Ischia," the beautiful volcanic island in the Bay of Naples, and the seafood absolutely lives up to that promise. My squid ink pasta with octopus (the Polypus) was outstanding, with perfectly tender octopus and beautifully balanced flavors. The scallops were buttery, sweet, and cooked to perfection, while the Ischia -- loaded with mussels, clams, and calamari -- was every seafood lover's dream. The rest of the menu proved just as impressive. The Pappardelle, featuring burrata and a rich Bolognese sauce, was a huge hit, while the Romolo, a comforting combination of chicken, pasta, bacon, and sauce, was another winner that had no leftovers to speak of. If you somehow still have room after dinner, Luca's offers a nice assortment of gelato. But do yourself one favor: don't leave without ordering a cappuccino. Rich, foamy, and expertly made, it's the perfect finale to a memorable meal. If you find yourself in Somerset, just a few turns off Routes 287 or 1, make the stop. You'll be greeted by a wonderful staff, treated to outstanding food, and very likely leave wondering how a restaurant this good has been hiding in a strip mall all along.

I just came here to say if you don't have a good server, you don't have a good experience. Rose was…read morethe most attentive and personable server I have ever had. She was funny, honest, and very kind. I liked the food, I brought my family of 6 for Father's Day and everyone had a good food experience. We all got something different and nobody had any complaints, especially my father who is an Italian food guy- he loved the Alfredo pasta dish he got. His favorite part was Smithwicks on tap! The vibe of the entire place felt like I was sitting in someone's home eating dinner, very nice. My only complaint was our big family being on a rather small table. We parked in the parking deck, which was fine but know there is little to no street parking. The bar was empty but the restaurant had a good crowd. Everyone seemed friendly and hospitable.

The food and drinks were top notch. The espresso martini was delicious. Our server Ryan, was great!…read moreHe was attentive, friendly and personable! Thank you for a wonderful prelude to our evening in New Brunswick.

Finally tried Lubrano's, had heard good things from friends. Decided to just go the take out route…read moreso no comments on dish presentation. We ordered the Pasta Al Forno as an appetizer & Chicken Scarpariello for the main dish. Was quoted 35-40 min when I called it in, arrived ~30 min, paid & food came out near the 40 min quote. The pasta - for us the cheese on top was perhaps over toasted as it was on the dry side. Flavor was fine otherwise. Not sure I'd order this for a main dish without added protein though. The Chicken Scarp - excellent. The chicken & potatoes were very tender. The mild sausage makes this dish come together, it adds a level of savoriness to complement the balsamic sweetness in the sauce. I also like the long angled slices of sausage nicely seared on each side, it was not expected vs other versions that I've had. Meal also came with bread to soak up that chicken sauce. Also noting the place seemed packed, only 2 spots on their lot were open plus it sounded busy inside. Will try it next time onsite with one of my many fine bottles of wine. :)

This location is right off the highway with plenty of parking…read more Cute little place with a diner kind of vibe. We had the calamari and the sausage and broccoli rabe for appetizers were delicious. We all had different entrees, we were all happy with our choices and had enough for lunch the next day. The service here was to par very attentive. I will be back.

The food, service, and atmosphere were definitely a vibe! Everything about the experience was…read moreenjoyable from start to finish. I had the Salmon and the Gnocchi Al Pesto, and both dishes were delicious, savory, and full of flavor. The staff was attentive, the ambiance was great, and the overall experience made me want to come back again. Highly recommend!

This place is absolutely fantastic…read more The octopus is some of the best I've ever had. So delicious. They got it crispy on the outside without overcooking the inside. The bread they bring you before meal was fresh out of the oven. I was like oh no. I don't want to fill up on this but it is amazing. Warm and fluffy and cut into fingers. We got a Cesar salad as a starter to share too. That was very good. For my meal I got the tuna steak medium rare. They cooked it perfectly. The orange sauce they put over it too was amazing. I don't know how to describe it. Some sort of tomato base. Which I wouldn't think of for tuna. Then I finished the night with a cappuccino. I was too full for desert but we weren't in a rush. That hit the spot. This was a business meeting and they moved us to a larger table to give us more space which was super cool of them. We got to sit in the tented area where it was easy to talk to one another without yelling.