Our waiter was excellent. He recommended the homemade gnocchi and it didn't disappoint. He served me a gnocchi made with ricotta cheese. I've never had a better gnocchi in my life and I will definitely recommend to my gnocchi loving friends. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals. Highly recommend this place read more

Service from Toni was 5 star (and Nonna warmly greeted and sat us). Lovely restaurant but a few of the dishes were not great. The salad and Pasta alla Norma were the best of what we tried. Creme brulee was good also - desserts are all $10. Wish the lasagna were better - too acidic. Tasted sour. Could not eat it. read more

When visiting the area, it was suggested to try this Italian restaurant, which was authentic. The host was friendly and led us to a table in the dining room which was nicely decorated and clean. Quickly met by the server with fresh warm bread, and ordered wine from the decent wine list. The menu had all the classic Italian dishes, of which we tried numerous different ones. The flavors were good, portions were just right, and overall a good experience. read more

As a former Bradley resident, I love coming back and visiting local spots. Some good friends told us we need to go here and we have been a couple of times recently. The place is very nice inside - comfortable and quaint. We usually opt for the bar area with tables. Service has been good every time and we really feel welcome. It's that old school Italian hospitality that does it! The pizza is phenomenal!! There are many excellent pizzerias in the area but this just hits the spot! I highly suggest trying it! We look forward to many more delicious meals in the near future! read more

See all

My sister's chicken dish was not edible. I tasted the sauce and it was bad. I think too much lemon? She was afraid she was going to get sick but I think it was not rotten just bad. My pasta had undercooked rubbery eggplant. I'm not really sure if they care about what they are serving here. I got the feeling they are just going through the motions here. read more

BRADLEY BEACH: a local favorite right on Main Street, Pagano's UVA Restaurant and Wine Bar has picturesque outdoor dining in the front that is dog friendly! They also offer a new experience with the seasonal pop-up Two Day Tiki Bar! Located outside in the back of the restaurant, leashed dogs are allowed to join you for a tiki drink menu and food from the main restaurant. Covered by a tent and decorated like a tropical getaway, it is fun to hear live music, eat fantastic food, have a drink from their special cocktail menu, and meet other pups. When we went, the puppy guests kept coming in and we were so excited. Our server, Kristen, was just as excited as we were to see all the pups and she was great making sure we were taken care of. Doggie water bowls are provided! The menus feature delicious Italian cuisine and Brie's Mom is still dreaming about the cavatelli. There is also a 2-page wine list, weekly specials, and happy hour. Check their website for current hours for the main restaurant and the tiki bar. read more

Everything! Everything made fresh and their open kitchen. There is also a wonderful happy hour.

A hidden gem- one of the few restaurants you can get into on a weekend down the shore without an outrageous wait but with really good food! Fried calamari wasn't my favorite but the mushroom gnocchi was so good I had to go back to order it again the following weekend! read more

See all

We had our wedding rehearsal there 7 years ago.. tonight we needed a quick dinner so me and my wife decided to go. the portions were small and overpriced. service was good but the owner never checked on us like he usually does and we were ignored put in a table by the busser's station. the energy of the place is not what it used to be. they have 2 betta fish at the hostess desk that are kept in dirty water this is a representation of how the place is going and has become. read more

Pagano's capped off my summer in the best way possible: by reigniting childhood memories of authentic Italian food, served in an old-school atmosphere with the family-type service to match. It's no wonder that I raved about Pagano's being the best Italian food I had all-year. The bread rolls were obviously made fresh-to-order, served with high-quality olive oil adorned with parsley. Then the clams on the half shell provided the exceptional value of market-fresh clams served simply while still being presented well. The star of the show was the seafood special: massive, likely U-10 or U-15, shrimp and scallops tossed in an authentic puttanesca sauce brimming with flavor from capers. Toss this over housemade fettucine and this is the type of Italian dish that brings a tear to my Italian eye. The tequila-based cocktail was also prepared well and replaced swiftly when I had an incident while reaching for the bread if I remember correctly. It's no wonder they have a rich history going on forty years, as they have retained the old-school charm and service that for the most part only New York natives can remember. I can also appreciate the cast of characters that comes through the door, many of which also being New York/New Jersey-bred Italian, which reminded me of the family I grew up around. A limoncello cake was equally as enjoyable, as was a delicious espresso/gelato-combined drink. This was in stark contrast to the chain Italian food I had the night prior, while tasting infinitely better at the same overall price point. Pagano's reminded me of what truly good Italian food tastes like, and the restaurant deserves a top rating for that. read more

See all

We went to Pagano's in Bradley Beach, NJ and split the delightful baked clams and calamari. This is a great local Italian spot with a nice bar scene and live music on the night we were there. The food is quite expensive here, but it's also very tasty. read more

Pagano's Uva Restaurant - Fried Calamari Patti Marina and baked clams - Italian Near Me - Bradley Beach, New Jersey

Interesting old school Italian restaurant that needs a few fixes. First off, food is very good here. I wish entrees came with a small salad like the old school places always do but not here. Bar side of the place is more happening. Dining room side is nice but kind of a boring atmosphere. The music they play has to be upgraded, it's so outdated and painful to listen to while you are trying to eat. I've been here twice but probably won't ever sit in the dining side again just because the music hurts your ears and brain. Also there is a wine fridge smack in the front of the dining room, it has the brightest white lights inside of it that blind anyone in the dining room who don't have their back to it. The entire meal imagine awful music and blinding light in your eyes. Management please turn off the light inside the wine fridge and update the music, it's not 1931. Another weird thing here is they keep the front door wide open to the street, it's the middle of winter so anytime someone new enters the place a blast of frigid air fills the dining room. These are all annoying things that are easily fixed, turn off wine fridge light, update the cheesy old Italian worn out soundtrack and close the front door so people aren't freezing Inside. The food here is very good. Good flavor and execution. Portions are decent sized but for the prices should come with a salad. Service is ok but servers should come around to the table more often. We had a 30 minute gap trying to get our check which was odd since the place was practically empty. Atmosphere is important in a place that has good food. A few minor tweaks could make this place better. 4 stars because the food tastes good, could be 5 with tweaks mentioned. Go try this place!!! read more

What can I say everything was terrific. The food is always fresh and delicious. My waitress Vera was accommodating and so friendly. Ellie made the best espresso martini.Do your self a favor and come to UVA for amazing Italian food. read more

Tried UVA for the first time on New Year's Eve for late celebratory lunch. Parked right in front of restaurant- WOO HOO for winter season parking! The place was very warm and inviting with a fireplace, Christmas lights abound and lots of family photos from their long history in Bradley Beach. Service was good, the food is just okay, nothing really stood out. The prices are very reasonable for drinks. You can fill up on hot bread. We tried the veal saltimbocca- had no flavor at all. ($31). The Branzino & shrimp almondine ($32$ had a nice lemon butter sauce. The portions are a nice size. I added a bunch of menu pics since most reviews rave about the bar menu. This is their latest menu, and there seems to be something for everyone. read more

See all

We were walking down Main Street in Bradley Beach while checking out reviews for dinner. We decided to give this place a try and so glad we did. You can choose sitting in the bar area with a guitar player this evening or go into the dining area for a more intimate dining. We were greeted with warm rolls and olive oil with some parsley to dip. There were so many choices I had the special which was halibut over polenta with a side of mixed vegetables. Hubby ordered the Branzino. We were both very pleased with our choices. We will definitely be back! read more

Pagano's Uva Restaurant - Branzino Branzino and Shrimp Almondine - Italian Near Me - Bradley Beach, New Jersey

See all

Excellent Italian restaurant in Bradley Beach on Main Street . Our server Patrick was excellent! Warm inviting atmosphere. You can sit at bar also and enjoy your meal. Enjoyed our specials of gnocchi in a Medrano sauce and shrimp/scallops with spinach and pasta. Shared a lava cake euthanized ice cream for dessert which was enough for two. read more

See all

I had my daughters bridal shower there today and I couldn't have been happier. Right from the start Anthony was amazing. Gave us all the options and listened to my daughter's wants. The party today was in the Two Day Tiki Bar which was what she wanted. Kevin and the staff were spot on and made sure everyone was having a great time. Food was plentiful and delicious. Thank you UVA for making her party unforgettable. read more

Went on new years, waitress looked like she didn't want to be there, i said its new years eve try smiling, she didn't even offer her name. We both ordered the bronzino. When it came you couldn't see the fish as it was smothered in peppers onions and whatever else they had i guess lol. It was also drowning in olive oil omg TOO MUCH OLIVE OIL, ridiculous. We mentioned it to the owner and she said she puts oil on everything. Well maybe you need to listen to your customers. Just because your using excessive olive oil doesn't make it more italian smh. We have had this fish at many other restaurants, and this had to be the worst. We will never go back, terrible experience. read more

Pagano's Uva Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bradley Beach, New Jersey

Just had a lovely night on the patio, they even have a tiki bar with some great Summer cocktails I enjoyed the Kiwi margarita. You can dine out on the street or you can go to the back parking lot where there is a big tent and a tiki bar. Great food as usual, we really enjoyed the wings with the Thai sauce, and a pizza called grandmas, it's ricotta cheese and meatballs on it... I am a vegetarian so I Sub the broccoli Rob on top. read more

See all

Service was THE worst ever. Waitress was a train wreck and I can't even begin to explain. The worse!! read more

Service. Food. All terrific. This place runs like a well oiled machine. Lucky to get Toni as waitress. read more

We used to dine here regularly, but it's really changed, for the worse. They need a new cook. The oil used for deep frying was almost rancid, a definite off taste. The entrees were extremely overpriced and smothered with oil. Just very different from a few years ago. They used to offer a great happy hour with really good pies in the bar area. We will try the happy hour again soon, but as for dinner, never again. Edit: I'm also tired of hearing the Covid blame game excuses from restaurants too. Covid has nothing to do with poorly prepared food. read more

The food is good - the bolognese sauce is really meaty. The chicken Marsala is quality sauce! I'm just not a fan of the chicken they use when you ask for it with the vodka penne. What is the most frustrating is their website. The links are broken. The tiki bar out back is fun and happy hour food is well priced. Nice place for a romantic date or grab a meal at the bar inside. You really can't go wrong. Enjoy! read more

Pagano's Uva Restaurant - Chicken Marsala Dated: June 2021 - Italian Near Me - Bradley Beach, New Jersey

See all

I like Pagano's for the most part. I always Uber so I don't have to worry about parking or that bottle of wine I drank and needing to drive! Wine list is great, everyone can find what they want. Winter parking is easier so if you didn't know about shore towns in the summer and parking, it isn't worth it. You can sit outside in the summer which is very nice. There is a band most nights in the bar area. It's a little small but looks like there was some additional room being added? Someone keep me posted! My friend had the Filet special. It was a little crusted for medium so she will order it med-rare next time. It came with prosciutto wrapped asparagus. I had the Parmesan trio which was good. It comes with warm bread with a pesto basil oil which is always a plus. It came hot and in a reasonable amount of time. We did lose our waitress near the end. I had to go look for her to pay as we had been left alone for about 45 mins. We could've ordered another glass of wine in that time and paid the check but oh well. It was the end of the night you would think she would want to get us out of there. Bathrooms are clean and the outside tables are wiped off between folks. Wish the outside seats were more comfortable (esp if I have to wait on the bill) but they aren't too bad. We go back for the ambiance, proximity, and overall good food at a good price. read more

Pagano's Uva Restaurant - Happy hour info - Italian Near Me - Bradley Beach, New Jersey

Love love love this place!! Check out their happy hour it's well worth it and the food is amazing

Good service at the bar. Attentive bartenders even though they are doing service bar as well.

Food is excellent! Our service unfortunately was horrible...both servers were wearing air pods the entire time they were serving us. Entrees came out before salad so we canceled the salad. Server seemed confused as to why and offered no apologies. Took forever to get drink refills. Definitely not the typical experience we usually have at Paganos. Servers were not professional and did not seem experienced. Pretty sure they were bussers filling in as servers. read more

My husband and I go out for dinner almost every weekend. I have to say this was one of the worst meals I have ever had. I ordered the Veal Saltimbocca last night. It was horrible. It was like shoe leather. Could barely cut it. I told the owner and he said if they cut it wrong it could be tough, then he offered me a dessert for a $36. meal. I told him no thank you and left. Will not go there again. They should have done the right thing and taken it off the bill. My husband's chicken parm was also burnt, but he refuses to ever say anything. Beware. read more

Food was amazing! I would 100% come back again! Service was also great as the staff there was very friendly and were awesome with their recommendations. read more

The food was well below average and the service at the bar was awful. There was a lot of drama between bartender and servers talking about a variety of complaints. I gave a 2 star review because the drinks were good. The happy hour is no real bargain and used to be phenomenal. read more

The food was amazing. Pizza is always delicious.. The live music was classic. We also love Vera.

Visited Pagano's last night to celebrate my sister's birthday. Everything was delicious. We had 2 pizza's to start and both (plain and the Arugula) were amazing. I think I'd go back even just for the pizza! I had the Flounder Piccata which was cooked perfectly. It came with risotto and sautéed spinach, both very good. Desert was Affogato which I highly recommend (get a glass of Amaretto and pour a little over the top, you won't be disappointed). The owner walks the restaurant engaging in brief conversation (which is just enough to make sure his customer's are satisfied). I would recommend and looking forward to going back. read more

This place once was pretty standardly good, however our meal and dining experience this past sunday was horrible. Salad appetizer never came, short staffed, my veal chop was bloody raw, my son's meal was average, but he had a stomach upset one hour later. When we pointed out the raw veal, wait- staff just took it away, said nothing, chef did not come over and say anything either. We told her the salad appetizer did not appear, she brought it out half prepared. Burrata Caprese salad with crispy prosciutto arrived with no prosciutto. . Terrible all the way through. Basic bland food, over worked and understaffed local place, needs a face lift and new management. Don't waist your time or money. read more

Had an absolute terrible experience at Pagano's last night for dinner. A fly was in my glass of water. We asked the waiter to inform the owner, which he did. He informed us that the owner said "tell the customers that they brought the fly in with them, there is nothing we can do. We will Never give them our business again. Horrible way to treat customers. read more

This was our first visit. We ordered salads. My friend has dietary restrictions so she needed to modify her salad. She basically took out the cheese and oranges ( allergic) and added tomatoes. There were supposed to be almonds but they were Not in the salad. The items that were taken out were more costly than what was put in. When we got the check there was a $5.00 charge added. When we asked what that was for we were told for modifying the salad. They refused to take it off the bill. We were told everyone knows that they won't modify here. We told the waitress it was our first time here and that we should have been told when ordering. In these times when people have dietary restrictions most restaurants are very accommodating. Our 2 very mediocre salads with tip cost us 55.00 dollars!! We will not return to this establishment. read more

I moved to Bradley Beach a few years ago and this is my go to spot. The food is excellent. Anthony, Vera, Kevin, Kelsea, etc. all are wonderful employees. This is the best Happy Hour around. Support your local businesses and be sure to check out UVA. read more

After several months have gone by, since my prior review, we realize that we have gone here more often than any other place around indicates that Pagano's UVA is special for us indeed. It's amazing how many nice people from the area we have met and are now friendly with. Anthony Pagano and his mom are both hands on with their business, which is a good thing and all of their staff go out of their way to please their customers. This is witnessed by the fact that the regulars keep coming back for more week after week. Their food continues to be consistently delicious as well. Bottom line: If their is a Cheers here at the Jersey shore - this is it! read more

Great for happy hour. It had items that would wouldn't typically see for happy house - not all fried foods. We got the meatball sliders, penne vodka and sliced garlic steak. I really enjoyed the steak. It was sliced over garlic toast. read more

Pagano's Uva Restaurant - Meatball sliders - Italian Near Me - Bradley Beach, New Jersey

Visited Pagano's with my husband recently. The food was exceptional! Authentic Italian at the Jersey Shore with a great atmosphere and very friendly staff. The broccoli rabe was so good, along with the fresh gnocchi. You can't go wrong with this gem! read more

See all

Came here for the Tuesday happy hour specials and caught a great performance by Turnpike Mike! He's here every Tuesday night. Really creates a nice ambience with an acoustic mix of oldies and contemporary music. Enjoy half off pasta dinners as one of their happy hour specials too. My mom and I split a pasta and an appetizer, with some wine. Great Tuesday evening down at the Jersey Shore! read more

Pagano's Uva Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bradley Beach, New Jersey