We love this place. The food is fantastic and the service is excellent. Nice and small so you feel special and can actually talk with your guests. Ashley and the rest of the staff are the BEST. read more

I honestly don't write reviews, good or bad, but I just am confused. Ordered for pick up Caesar salad and meatballs. Meatballs were fine. but the Caesar salad was so bad it was inedible. I honestly don't know how you screw up a Caesar salad, but it was swimming in dressing. I tried to eat it, and even threw some of my own lettuce in to soak up some of the dressing. I gave up and threw the rest in the garbage. read more

Piccolino Italian kitchen - Caesar salad drenched in dressing - Italian Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

Excellent service great peaceful environment and the food was fantastic. Our first visit we will certainly return

Nice quaint ambience, service was perfect and all the food is cooked to order,very fresh. We had the linguini and clams and the eggplant rollitini and calamari..I have to say everything was absolutely delicious. The fried calamari was the best I have had in years perfectly cooked and lightly breaded.This place is the real deal.. Make sure you call for reservations,I am pretty sure they only take reservation on the same day your going not ahead.. read more

Ambiance and service were still fine but unfortunately the food has dropped off. Perhaps the regular chef was off today and the backup kitchen staff are not up to the task. Our clams oregano starter was very subpar. They were soggy and not cooked properly. My swordfish special was real miss not tasting like the fish should have. And the spinach and garlic side as well as the roasted potatoes not real good either. My wife's eggplant parm was decent along with a side of pasta. But nothing to rave about. Not sure if this meal was a one off. Hope so for their sake. read more

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GREAT italian spot in Tom's River. Very friendly staff and food was a 10/10! Large portions and delicious homemade pastas!! read more

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Came here on a Monday night Service was great, super attentive, the lady was very nice and great understanding of the menu and recommendations. Appetizers were great, ordered probably half of the appetizers on the menu, all were great. I really like the calamari and the giant cheese balls. I got the spicy rigatoni with a crispy chicken cutlet and the drunken parm, very delicious, large and had left overs. Definitely coming back, food was flavorful and the service was great, super easy and simple! read more

Amazing food...Seasoned so well, portions are very generous...Ashley our server was GREAT!!! I'll be going back soon...BYOB

Phenomenal. Food to die for. Service/staff lovely. Intimate atmosphere. Wish they'd come to port st Lucie FL. loved

Hidden gem on Fischer blvd. Definitely need reservations. Everything on menu is good. It's BYOB

We ordered the Caesar salad some of the lettuce was brown . Service was good waitress was very friendly. I did feel like we were left out as we had the table by the window. Our salad came out right away. Bread was ice cold! And not that fresh!Then dinner seemed like it took like 15!mins from when they took our salad plates away. Dinner was hot coming out for sure! Hubby had bolognese. I had stuffed shrimp but for $42 they should give you at least 6 shrimp! Probably wouldn't go back as it's not near my home . Better Italian place near me! Only went because I had a gift card. read more

I was very excited to try this place, having difficult reservations and highly rated across all platforms as the best Italian on the shore. Unfortunately, my experience was quite underwhelming then expect. Small mini shopping mall storefront restaurant, old school inside with nothing pretentious, reminiscent of Nonna's living room in Queens. The staff was very friendly, accommodating, and attentive. Ashley was a wonderful waitress. I was looking at the Gemma or the Lucca entrees, both sounded delicious. Though the special was the lasagna bolognese, I couldn't resist. Opened up a 2018 Pio Cesare Barolo. The arugula and fennel salad was dressed appropriately and shared. Seafood was good, shrimp oreganata was good and the clams were fresh in the clam sauce. The red sauce was excellent. The chunky texture, thickness, and flavors of oregano, basil, and tomatoes were good. Created a delicious bolognese and spicy vodka sauce. Sautéed spinach was done right also. This was going to be wonderful, but that's where it started to tumble. My lasagna was frozen in the middle still. I sent it back (which I never do) and was not going to order anything else. Ashley tried to do the right thing and brought it back out after the kitchen had fixed the lasagna. Well, it wasn't frozen but still refrigerator cold. I can lift the mozzarella from the lasagna as a solid piece of cheese, no strings, not melted. It was cold to the touch. Ashley tried to take the blame for the kitchen, which was honorable and a sign of good service. She brought me out a bucatini bolognese instead, knowing I loved the sauce, just not the frozen pasta. The linguini and clam sauce was bland without much flavor but the clams and pasta was good. Spicy rigs were done right with a thick vodka sauce and some heat at the end. Overall, I'm not sure if I'd go back. The sauce and the seafood may be worth it but I'm not sure if the kitchen knows what it is doing. I feel like it's missing direction and not following procedures. Ashley and staff being so accommodating was a huge save in my experience. Would have had two stars if it weren't for Ashley. It could have been a one-off night or the chef had off and another line cook took the cook spot, I don't know. I would suggest trying it, but with fewer expectations than what I had. read more

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We have been going to Rockafellas and now here at their new establishment for our 1st date anniversary for the last 25 years, and can't recommend this restaurant enoughPiccolino Italian Kitchen is an absolute gem -- the kind of place that reminds you how magical a family‑run restaurant can be. Every dish that comes out of the kitchen is phenomenal, bursting with authentic flavor and the kind of care you can't fake. You taste passion in the sauces, precision in the pasta, and pride in every plate. It's the kind of food that makes you slow down and savor because it's just that good. What makes Piccolino even more special is the heart behind it: Their warmth, dedication, and genuine love for what they do radiate through the entire restaurant. You feel it the moment you walk in -- the atmosphere is welcoming, the energy is upbeat, and the service is consistently outstanding. Their wait staff is incredible: attentive, friendly, and always on point, striking that perfect balance of professionalism and personality. Piccolino isn't just a restaurant; it's a family pouring their soul into creating unforgettable meals and memorable experiences. They have built something truly exceptional, and it shows in every bite and every interaction. A glowing five‑star experience through and through. read more

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We went to celebrate my wife's 67th birthday with 5 other couples. It's not that way to find in the dark night. It's on the left hand side in a shopping plaza, just off Fischer Blvd heading East. They have a small waiting area, but once seated, it was spectacular!! Ashley was one of our servers. Friendly, attentive and totally professional. We started with apos. We had the fried Calamari with a red sauce. Excellent. My son had their special, fried Calamari with a hot Thai sauce. Yummy Of course water, bread delivered to the table. It's a BUO ! We also had the large Caesar salad. Delicious and plenty for 2-3 guests. Then came the main course. I had the lasagna. I haven't had Lasagna in decades. I usually get seafood or Chicken Parm. Spectacular dish. More than half came home in a doggie bag. Tomorrow's lunch. They brought out the Belgian Chocolate Mouse, no antlers with birthday ornaments and sang Happy Birthday to my wife. Everyone's meal was enormous and leftovers abound. We already are talking about going back again. THANKS read more

The service was great from the moment we arrived. The food was truly outstanding! Started with the seafood salad. The shrimp and calamari were so fresh, mixed with chopped red & green peppers and a refreshing, tasty dressing. The salmon special with shrimp and tarragon sauce over rice was incredible. The New York strip with shrimp, kalamata olives and tomato was amazing. Portions were huge! Great spot. read more

Piccolino Italian kitchen - Wild caught salmon with shrimp and tarragon sauce over rice - Italian Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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Weird seating and reservation system - you are doomed if you get a seat by the door - have to psycho dial when phones open - food was mid - portobello appetizer cold I wish I would of told waitress - wait staff was nice attentive but couldn't trust recommendations as they changed by table - food was eh no salad with dinner - bread oil and cheese eh - on fisher I lean to tardis read more

We died here for the first time on New Year's Eve. We were a party of eight. We were all absolutely blown away at how amazing everything was. They really went all out for New Year's Eve, but on top of that the service and the food were out of this world as well. The spicy rigatoni might've been the best I've ever had and I've been to a lot of top rated places in the city. Others at my table said the chicken Parm was delicious. My whole group decided that we wanna make it our tradition to come here every New Year's Eve, but I definitely will be back again in the next few weeks cause I'm already craving some of the food again. read more

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Service was great and the restaurant is super cute! I absolutely loved the pistachio cake dessert. The eggplant stack appetizer special and Caesar salad were delicious! The chicken cutlet on the penne vodka was very good. read more

My wife and I just had dinner here for the first time. The place has a very comfortable atmosphere that you sense as soon as you walk in. The menu has incredible choices with a mix of Italian traditional and original house dishes. My dish was outstanding, matched perfectly with the service.Our server was Ashley who was delightful! We will definitely be back and back and back...... read more

Absolutely delicious food and amazing staff. My husband was a firefighter who died on duty just 5 days after his birthday. We celebrate him every year with a dinner. They were so nice, accommodating to my 97yr old grandmother. I live an hr away and plan on making this our new place to honor and celebrate. read more

Piccolino Italian kitchen - Italian Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

Large portions for the lunch menu. Had the red mussels and two pasta dishes. All very flavorful. Service was quick and friendly as well, though we were the only ones there on a rainy afternoon so doesn't say too much. read more

We were visiting our family in Toms River and wanted to find a BYOB for our day after Thanksgiving dinner. Yelp to the rescue! What an adorable restaurant with wonderful employees. You call at 4 pm the day you want to dine to make your reservation, so do not try making reservations online. Bunny, our server, was fantastic. We have a member of the family who is extremely fussy, and she could not have been more accommodating. We had a tripe dish, a pasta dish, a shrimp dish, and a seafood dish...all were delicious and the portions were generous. My only complaint is you cannot get a salad. Yes, they have salads on the menu, but they are not "regular" salads, which is what we were in the mood for. I would suggest adding a house salad to the menu. Desserts were also incredibly good and large portions. We will definitely be back! read more

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Food and service is top notch. Small restaurant but you don't feel crowded. They only take reservations on the day of so plan accordingly

Great atmosphere and service with interesting and creative selections. The food fell slightly short of expectations but overall we enjoyed our experience and would recommend. Thanks for a great dining experience! read more

Three tries and you're out! We give up...the crazy reservation system doesn't work for us. Have to call after 4 pm on day you want to eat. Call at 4:05...no answer. Call at 4:15.... sorry no reservations until 8 pm. We are real people who like to make plans..before we need to get in the car and go. This was the third try and will be the last read more

The food was very good (pricey). The service was excellent. It's a small restaurant in a strip mall so very cozy. I will definitely go back read more

Piccolino Italian kitchen - Wild caught Salmon, oven roasted potatoes - Italian Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

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Dinner tonight was excellent. We had entrees from the Valentine's Day specials. My wife had Sea Bass with mussels , shrimp & tomato. I had chicken with prosciutto, peas & cream. Both were served over pasta & sauces were fabulous. Finally our server Ashley with the staff were helpful with selections & pleasant. Glad we returned to this restaurant. read more

Ordered in. Definitely going to order again. All the meals were delicious and flavorful.

My husband and I went on a Monday night, the small....very small....waiting area was quite awkward. We ordered a couple of apps and they were ok, baked clams were a little sandy, but that happens sometimes. For main course, we both ordered steak, the quality of the meat was sub par and wasn't exactly cooked to perfection, I did send it back and asked to please cook it a bit more. For a local family owned restaurant, I was hoping for better. "If" we ever decide to give it another try, we would certainly stay within the realm of their expertise, possibly checked cutlet parm? read more

Ashley was fabulous! We love her it's us the Bach party! We loved the food and the fun! Thank you all so much for making our night even more fun and happy! Pam says she loves you she's the entertainment! Honestly the entire place was amazing I felt like I was in my Italian Grammys home getting all the love and support and obviously delicious food! You are all incredible!!! I am beyond grateful!!! Don't even hesitate to go in! read more

Ashley, you were fabulous. this is Toni. the fun girl with the Caesar salad and calamari. thanks for recommending aqua too. perf night. xoxoxo read more

Went here last night. The food was delicious! And the staff was so friendly! This is my new go to restaurant!

Great Italian restaurant in Tom's River. Ashley our server was excellent. We shared the Caesar salad definitely tell the dressing was made ( not bottled) the special appetizer of long hots with sausage mushrooms and onions very good large portion. I had the Mahi Mahi dinner special with little neck clams served over linguine with a Livornese sauce and my wife had the menu item Bucatini with roasted cherry tomatoes. Prices very reasonable for quality of food served. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back. read more

Nice quaint Italian place. Friendly service by Bunny. Good selection of appetizers & main course. We chose the evening specials. Salmon stuffed with spinach & topped with shrimp scampi served on risotto. Also chicken with mushrooms & artichoke served with a nice paste creamy white sauce. The salmon & shrimp were cooked to perfection. The dish was overly salted. Had the chef removed the dark oily underside (that comes with every salmon) the salmon would have not had an underlying fishy taste. Once I removed the dark oily underside, the taste of the salmon was excellent. The chicken dish was out of this world delicious in every way. Nicely done chef ! The NY style cheesecake was a definite ten.....fresh, silky smooth & melt in your mouth. BYOB. Same day reservations only & must call 4pm or later on Friday & Saturday. read more

Fantastic delicious Fantastic service great friendly atmosphere and delicious food and delicious read more

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Great food and service. It's a quaint local place with many traditional Italian American dishes, but IMO they're elevated above most of the 1000's Italian restaurants in the area. We had fresh pasta, eggplant parm 3 different ways, broccoli rabe, spinach and meatballs. All were delicious. We will add Piccolino to our short list of go-to local restaurants. read more

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Amazing!!!! From the moment we entered, til the moment we walked out the door, everyone and everything was exceptional! The food was absolutely delicious! We can't wait to go back!!! read more

Let me start by saying this restaurant has potential to get a 5 star review from me but as it is, I'm giving it a generous 4 and I'll explain. The first big negative for me came right at the start when I tried to make a reservation. I called early in the week to make a Saturday reservation and was told that I have to call back at 4:00PM Saturday to get a reservation for that night. Wait, what ??? I've eaten at some of the best restaurants you can find and none of them have this absurd rule. How do you make plans with family and friends doing things this way ? Anyway, I was game, maybe the food here is so amazing they have to do this ? So, since I had read good things on Yelp and other platforms about this spot, I decided to give this 4:00 PM thing a shot. Well after a few tries, I managed to get an early 5:00 PM reservation. A warm, cozy atmosphere here, we were greeted fairly promptly by our waitress and seated at a nice table. After hearing the night's specials, my wife and I went with two of them, but first we ordered an on the menu appetizer, Sautéed Calamari and Long Hots which sounded interesting. Well, this was just OK and definitely needed a bit more flavor as it was very bland other than the spiciness of the long hots. For my wife's main course, she went with the Swordfish special with mussels and clams over linguine. The swordfish was excellent, cooked perfectly, tender, flaky and flavorful. What ruined this dish a bit for my wife was that a few of the mussels were bad and tasted funky. Not good, especially when you are paying good money for your food. I went with the Stuffed Shrimp and Crab Meat served over risotto with a side of zucchini. Although this was good and the shrimp was grilled and flavorful, there were only 4 and they definitely could have been more generous with the crab meat stuffing. Again, considering the prices you are paying, you expect a bit more. For dessert, we went with a Parfait and a Peach Sorbet, both were very good. Overall the experience here was pretty good, the service was ok and I think with a few tweaks, in particular more attention to the food and getting rid of their ridiculous reservation rule, this has the potential to be a solid restaurant in the area. read more

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From service to delicious food this restaurant is over the top.....first it was totally at capacity and this staff never missed a beat.....everyone was friendly and gracious explaining the different dishes......the appetizers were a mixed salad and broccoli rabe and sausage...omg they were delish.....so good... our different meals of pasta......fish........sauce was great, pasta cooked just right, eggplant perfect.....her well known dessert....strawberries and cannoli ...cream ...perfect ending to a fabulous meal....if your Italian or not....and love good food , the ambiance is like sitting in your own dining room..this restaurant will be your new bestie.....MANGIA!!!! read more

This place is hardly open. Check before you go! The service was good. Our dish was good except a person in our party ordered a clam dish and the clams were dead and he smelled it right away. They offered to make it over but he declined. I would like to try it again. read more