If you're looking for a quick bite, this is not the place. Our dinner took approximately 3 hours, and we passed on dessert because we were falling asleep. Actual eating time was maybe 30 minutes. The staff just doesn't care to serve (even asking for the bill took 20 mins). The food was great. Everyone at our table enjoyed what we had. Unfortunately I can't see myself coming back here. I do enjoy having a nice relaxing dinner, but the quality of the meal can't overcome the lack of staff or attention to customers. read more

Had diner here the other night with my family. The first thing noticed is the parking lot is kind of small and tight. It was empty when we got there. I couldn't imagine what it would be like trying to park when it was crowded. When we sat at the table the first thing I noticed was how many gnats there were flying round. In fact one wound up in my drink. I was pretty turned off at this. I started off with the baked clams. I found them kind of tasteless and the bread crumbs were very dry. The tops of them weren't fully cooked. Although I did get about 8 of them. For my entree I had the calamari fra diavolo. At best it was OK. I did like that it is BYOB and the best part of the night was the bread. It was very good. I don't think I will recommend this place to anyone and I know I will not return. There are way better places for Italian food in my area. read more

Delicious, authentic Italian food. Best spinach linguine I ever ate. We were craving some homemade pasta and Pauline's did not disappoint. Highly recommend. read more

Go there occasionally. Always great food. Nice family vibe. Prices are decent too. Due for a return visit soon =)

My husband and I really enjoy the food here. The pasta is great and the bread is to die for. Neither of us loved the fried calamari. Hubby enjoyed the clams, I thought they were ok. But Pauline's salad is very good. The home made tiramisu is amazing! My biggest complaint is the service. They are not always attentive and feel the bus boys should be keeping our gratuity because they are much more attentive. Their unsweetened tea is not very good either. Go for the food because it is worth putting u with the mediocre service and their obnoxious and loud clientele. read more

Went for a luncheon after a Baptism and the food was amazing! Decor is pretty old fashion and your typical old school traditional Italian restaurant. read more

I had the penne pasta with chicken and it was super good. The service was really good as well!

Good basic Italian food. Went there on a Saturday night, waited 20 minutes for a table. It's a small place, there aren't a lot of tables, a reservation always is a good idea on weekends. read more

Pauline's Restaurant - Salad for two - Italian Near Me - Matawan, New Jersey

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Called this past Friday and asked the person that answered if I need reservations for 4 people the next night Saturday at 5 pm....Was told we didn't need reservations to just come on in....Well we arrived at 5:20 and asked for a table for 4.... The young man (not sure if he was a host or a waiter) looked at us like we were crazy and said 1 minute....He came back with a woman and she said they were booked up but they might be able to seat us in 45 minutes....Did I mention the place was totally empty except for a party of 4....We told her we called and tried to make a reservation and in a very rude way told us "we don't take reservations".... Well we left and went down the road to Deninos and had the most amazing dinners with a ton of food to take home.... THANK YOU PAULINE"S FOR BEING RUDE WE FOUND A GREAT PLACE AND WE WILL BE BACK OFTEN Laurie K. read more

First time here and it wasn't so exciting. Visited this place with my family, few things that wasn't so pleasurable we're the tight seating, and ok food. Staff was great! But didn't get that authentic Italian food I was looking for, maybe it's just me but I wouldn't stop anyone from coming here. read more

The problem with this restaurant is it seems like the owner who probably knows how to cook for the family doesn't know how to cook restaurant quality food.They seem like nice people.I have worked in the restaurant. Industy for years in little italy and my advice to them is this shut the place down and hire yourself a professional chef and staff in the kitchen.fire all of your waiters and rehire people with more experience........example you never heat or toast the bread.... usually means it's old........no desert menu offered........ cappuccino was terrible stuffed pork chop was undercooked...only thing that was good was the caprese salad ....I only didn't complain because there was so much to complain about and didn't want to be an annoying pain in ass..ok so in short. Hire chef. Fire waiters revamp your menu...also too many specials and don't read them from paper memorize them make them sound like it's the most unbelievable dish ever created........you don't ask me if I want cheese you bring it and offer it to me.....don't want to keep going but this place can be saved just needs professional management And staff read more

Food prices on medium price near $20 each. Menu is really good. Food is good. Place is nice. Would go back but would not order meat lasagna again. Not any cheeses in it just chop meat. I really didn't like it. And sauce was minimum & runny. Stuffed pork chops were good. Dessert was good but expensive. Professional & good service. read more

We just left there for mothers day dinner! This was not our first time there and in the past have also had a good experience! This time not only was most of the staff rude but the food was terrible! The menu was fixed which would be ok but if your going to have a fixed menu every dish should be excellent! This experience was so bad we never give it another try!!!!! read more

The interior decor is very nice, service was good (on a slow night) and they have a $16.95 two course dinner special on weeknights so a good value. But the food was very average. And in an area with tons of Italian BYO restaurants, your food needs to be better than average. I would give 3 stars but they committed a cardinal sin in my book...my side dish of pasta had more water in the bottom of the serving bowl than sauce over the top. That's just sloppy food preparation and poor attention to detail. read more

I have been to Pauline's a about 4-5 times and have never had a bad meal. The wait staff is attentive and very nice. The food is homemade so expect to wait a bit but its worth it. The lobster ravioli is fantastic. My finance has had the Veal special more than once and always enjoyed it. The portions are huge and we always come home with something, but never leave hungry. The décor is old style, but it works for this place. Its a small restaurant so seating sometimes gets crowded but you make the most of your dining out. (I remember many home meals when guests came over and we were crowded at the table - so I don't mind this at all). It's BYOB and the menu is priced reasonably. I will be going back again. read more

My girlfriend and I made reservations as a back up to a different restaurant just in case we couldn't get in. After all, this was Valentine's Day at 6:30pm so we both figured there was no way we would get a table. We walked in and were greeted by the friendly staff and asked if it was possible. After 2 employees exchanged some comments to each other they looked at us and told us it would be maybe a 10 minute wait. These people literally made it work for us even though we were 100% an inconvenience! Not only will we be continuing to come back as we always have, but I will also continue to tell everyone about Pauline's simply because that kind of service doesn't exist anymore! Thanks for making our Valentine's Day a little better than it already was! read more

Hands down is the best italian restaurant in the area. It is family owned and everyone in the family is more than hospitable. I have been coming here for a while now and I have never been unsatisfied with a dish. I will continue to be one of many regulars here for a very long time. read more

We went here just to go out on a Friday night, and it was pretty good. The people there were nice, but the service was a little slow. When we got our food, it was well presented and was delicous. The atmosphere is nice, and it seemed like they took pride in their work. read more

Wanted an amazing meal and knew just the place to go!! My Veal chop was delicious.. And pork chops yummy..

I don't know what happened with the quality of both the food and service at this place. To the point of wondering if it's under new management since last year (?) I really enjoyed this restaurant when I went about a year ago and I was in the area recently and said "oooh. Let's go back to Pauline's..." what a disappointment. Food was just "ok" and the service was awful. I asked for an extra dish so I can share with my fiancé and she never came with it. Never came back and asked if we wanted refills on our soft drinks. When we asked for the check she "finally" brought it. Then we waited about 10-15 minutes for her to come back and process it with my debit card. Then the straw that broke the camels back - we were charged a $2.99 "non-cash fee" on top of the overpriced dishes! Really?!? No posting, nothing on the menu or anywhere that you would be charged more for using a credit/debit card! I'll never go back. Shame on you Pauline's- raise your prices or make some other business decision - that's just WRONG. read more

I don't understand how this restaurant does not have a million five star ratings. Born and raised in in Bensonhurst Brooklyn New York and being the son of Spanish parents who are great cooks I grew up knowing a little about food. Then I moved out to New Jersey 8 years ago and I have yet to come across anything close to even the worst italian restaurant in my neighborhood. Paulines has found my heart, everything I've ever eaten here has been ridiculously amazing and at a fair price from fish to steaks, pastas, sauces, everything is fresh. One of the waiters say that they get many of their ingredients from New York, do yourself a favor and eat here please. read more

I phoned ahead on 1/18/14 for a party of 3 at 6:30 and was told to just come in. I arrived at 6:20 and was told it would be about 15 minute wait. There was one party ahead of me...a party of two. Finally at 7:35 we left. What happened??? There were several parties of 2 that were seated. There was a 7:00 reservation for 8 people...and only 6 arrived. They were seated. There was a reservation for 7 people, only 5 arrived. They were seated. Other parties of 2 were seated. We were told there were tables that had already been cleared and paid, but were just sitting around and wouldn't leave. This was far past our 15 minute estimated wait time. The hostess/waitress seemed HELPLESS managing the growing crowd of (potential) diners waiting nor diners that wouldn't leave!?! Everyone was told the wait time was 20 mins. Unless they had a reservation for a large table. Large reservations were seated, even if they arrived w fewer people (no courtesy to call ahead to update?) how long did they wait for food orders? We finally left after waiting ....an hour and 15 minutes . WHY? We had a fine meal elsewhere. I have no idea how Pauline's food is. The staff is ......clueless. I should give them no stars. read more

Just had dinner at this restaurant. We had their $16.99 - 2 course dinner special and we were very disappointed. My eggplant parmigiana was NOT a good choice. It tasted like it had been frozen for a while. My husband had the spinach lasagna and it was just ok. This place is inconsistent. I don't think we'll be back. read more

I gave this place 3 stars because the food was pretty good. However the service was terrible. My wife and I came here on a Saturday evening at 7 p.m. (They don't take reservations and it is byob) We arrived and were told it would be 1/2 hour wait. We ended up waiting over an hour for a table. I was a bit annoyed about that but chalked it up to a terrible estimate by the woman behind the counter. The waitress took our order in a timely fashion and we received our appetizers relatively quick. We both ordered fried calamari. It was just ok and was a bit overcooked and rubbery. During our appetizer I had finished my drink but no one came around to ask if I needed a refill. I had to flag down another waitress for this. Our dinners came out about 1/2 hour later. I ordered lobster ravioli which was homemade and superb. My wife ordered linguini with clams which was the best she ever had. We finished our dinner and waited another 15 minuted for someone to come and clear the dishes. For dessert we ordered the chocolate lava cake which was excellent. However, once again we were made to wait forever for the check. I had to flag down another waitress in order to get the check. The whole experience there took 3 hours start to finish. The wait staff were all very nice people but horrible attendants and I honestly think that they needed at least 2 or 3 more. We probably wont be going back. read more

Paulines is fantastic! We have been going there for about 17 years. Food is always delish, entire staff is wonderful. We have had many events there and our guests are always pleased. They really treat you like family.. best food and it's a BYOB read more

Last time we went here the table cloth was filthy when we told the owners wife her response was on Sunday (this was a Tuesday) they prob forgot to change them. Anyway after that I swore the place off but my mother in law bought us a gift certificate for Christmas I told my husband I would only do take out. We tried it again tonight my $35 filet mignon was in a brown soupy sauce Soo watery. The salad for two which we have had there and is the same price for take out was half the size. My sons clAms were awful and my husband felt sick after his pasta in pink sauce. The only thing that was ok was my sons penne vodka. Never ever again read more

Great food great service. We also love BYOB places. Parking lot is a little tight but it never keeps us from going here for a nice dinner. We've gone on weekdays and weekends and did not have to wait long for a table, even when one of the rooms were being used for a holiday party. Love their bread and we always get the mozzarella with prosciutto special. Their gravy is amazing! read more

The best restraunt in the area. My family has been eating here for over 10 years. Authentic Italian food actually made by Italians. It's family run and it feels it. They all take pride in this place. It's a BYOB too.. Highly recommend read more

The food is very authentic, and cooked perfectly. Had the chicken parm, green bean salad and pasta. Was amazing! My daughter loves the ravioli and the cannoli swerve superb. Everything cooked with love. Service is great! Definitely one of my favorite restaurants. read more

i loved the veal and spinach was delicious,great price fix,salad was my favorite,and the cheese cake came from bklyn .Thanks

Excellent night. Although 2 guests showed 45 mins Laredo, they sat the other 4 of us. Checking in seeing if we wanted anything besides their terrific focaccia or Italian breads. Appetizers were delicious- rocco's calamari, zuppi di clams/ mussels, and baked clams for the table. Main dishes were outstanding with 5 of 6 ordering specials. I had from menu ziti de Rabe with sausage. The others had lamb chops, veal chops special and was first time 6 of us had cleaned our plates and we didn't go hungry! Desserts were ok as chocolate cake was blagh but cheesecake was fabulous as we all dug in! In sum, a great night out, terrific food, and at no time did the waiters/waitresses push us along. We stayed til 11:30 with reservations at 8pm. Highly recommend this place to you read more

Had Dinner with my family at Pauline's tonight and after reading the very mixed reviews I was skeptical. However, we found the wait staff to be very pleasant and the food was excellent!! We truly enjoyed the entire experience and will certainly be back again in the near future. I would say, don't be discouraged by the negative reviews. Go have your own experience you will probably pleasantly surprised like myself. read more

Great food and service. Don't let the look of the parking lot and the building fool you. The waiters and waitresses were so friendly and welcoming for the past 3 times when my family had dinner there. The only trade off was the interior space was a bit tight. BYOW. read more

A great staff, everyone is very friendly, family business that's why it's such s warm apmsophere! Food is delicious, I been going for years and recommend it !!! read more

Owner and manager rude and don't crack a smile!! Also, not accommodating!! Food was fair! Bus boys were pleasant!!

My husband and I have been weekly customers for the past ten years. I have never had a bad meal or bad service. I noticed this amazing family restaurant had poor reviews and I had to speak my piece. The food is great, the family atmosphere creates the perfect environment for an enjoyable evening. This restaurant is five stars. read more

we have been going there for years great food horible service just bad attitudes they act like they have never seen us before we had a party there and have been eating there for over 15 years . last time we ate there was the worse very rude and just not friendly at all .wont be getting any more of my money read more

I have never written a review before, but when I see that one of my favorite restaurants for the last twenty years of my life has a three star rating it breaks my heart...to all those of you who complain that the food and service are very "slow" perhaps you should stop and wonder why, because there's a very easy answer to that. The food there is never frozen and is always made to order. You are always getting fresh food at Pauline's, in my personal opinion that's worth the wait. The business is family owned so all of the staff is part of of the family. The family is from Italy and it is the most authentic Italian food I have ever eaten in America, especially in NJ. I always get the veal Marsala because their sauce can not be beat...If you love food and want to enjoy your meal and have fresh food that has not been previously made and just reheated, I highly recommend Pauline's. If you want a quick, generic meal, go somewhere else... read more

food is DELICIOUS..we go for the special they have tues-thursday...honestly, my mouth waters when I think of this place...their food is fresh and their sauce is amazing...i could careless wat the attitude of the waitresses are being how good the food is...(btw they are all very friendly and accomodating)...i go almost twice or three times a month..i love it read more

Excellent food , excellent quality, although the owner did have an attitude when I politely explained that the zuppa di pesche was plated incorrectly since my entree had lots of broken shells from the clams and mussels! Not to mention I got the nasty face after I said how amazing the entree actually was I only mentioned this issue since it is actually very dangerous and if somebody was hurt could lead to legal issues and I would hate to see this place go away since there are not many good italian options in the area. But she was too proud to hear any of this! I talked to a friend of mine who is a top chef and they clearly "dumped" the fish onto the plate instead of using tongs. Now my wife is afraid to go in fear of the owners attitude... Well their loss as we eat out 4-5 nights a week and I really enjoyed the food here the price was also very good! It has my complete recommendation just watch out for broken shells and god forbid if you have some in your meal just crunch past them and keep your mouth shut! Lol read more