It's been awhile ... and you might notice the added star but I can tell you that the fourth star was wavering in the cool winter breeze because once again we had to search for any staff to refill our water glasses or to just check in on us. Since we are talking about five years since my last review I am guessing the "leave them alone so that they can talk" philosophy of restaurant service is an institutional policy. Frankly, the service was better than the 2017 review but please we should not have to leave the table and walk into another area of the restaurant to find our server to ask to have our water glasses refilled. And, the kid from the land of the dead whom I at first thought was a customer lost attempting to find his parents was actually an employee. Someone at my table suggested I ask him for a refill of the water as he slowly walked by in a half stupor but I said "If he worked here he'd at least remove the completed soup bowls from our table (They remained until the entire meal was finished.)." I discovered later when he returned to clean a table top that he actually was an employee who might have been trained to notice diners in need of water or he could have actually said "Good evening, I have noticed your water glasses have nothing in them ... might I refill them for you?" But, then again perhaps its institutional policy. Having gotten that out of the way I have to say I was very impressed by the new entranceway, which replaced the old wooden railings that I remember front he splinters in my hand. It is a very attractive entrance and as always, noted in my prior review, you are greeted warmly and feel very welcome as you walk into this very attractive restaurant. The menu has changed since we were last here. We all agreed that it appears to have been reduced in offerings and in variety but that did not stop us from finding something. Clearly when you see the four stars and if you have reached this point of the review you have noted negatives but yet 4 stars. The food is delicious and well conceived! We didn't get anything extravagant but the French Onion Soup was truly special both visually and more importantly its blend of flavors along with the nice presence of perfectly cooked onions made those who ordered the soup very happy campers (Ok,, that's a phrase ... we are not camping out in the winter.). The sandwich was accompanied by some of the best "chips" we have ever had (All too often restaurants in their attempt to save money rather than offering French fries created chips that are burnt, overly salted or otherwise inedible.) and we all were reaching over to make sure not a speck was left. I ordered the Sweet Chili Signature Chicken Salad (Romanelli's has always been known for their awesome salads!), which was perfect for me but .... If you don't like Asian-style chili garlic sauce be forewarned that this salad's going to do more than tingle your tongue ... you are going to need water to cool it down and you already read about the lack of water refills. The chicken was perfectly cooked ... the croutons had me searching for more, and the blend of flavors made this a fantastic filling meal but .... As we left and I talked about the "heat" of my salad someone asked "Where was the bread or the rolls with dinner?" Where indeed was the bread basket that one used to receive as a guest at Romanelli's? Yes, COVID and increased costs have forced restaurants to save dollars wherever they could but we had folks with soup and me with a salad so a small dinner roll or a nice piece of bread would have been perfect but alas no bread. The menu features all those fabulous omelettes that make Romanelli's a great stop for breakfast (I wonder if you get toast or coffee refills.)! And, I am sure we will be back but next time I might ask that the water pitcher be left on the table when ordering so that the server will realize that many people need more than one glass of water with their meal especially if the water is their choice of beverage for the evening, afternoon, or morning. read more

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Good food for the price. Service was excellent . They have a neat little bar . Bartender is friendly

Booming Shrimp app was great. Short rib poutine was ok, but poutine needs "squeaky" cheese curds, this dish didn't have those. Main courses of fish and chips, chicken parm were good. Chicken francaise was ok, good lemon, but kinda sweet. Wait staff was attentive, but What was disappointing surprise was we were seated at 4pm, and early bird is 3 to 5. Chicken francaise was listed as an early bird choice. However we ordered 2 of those and both were charged full price at end of meal. When I asked if we ordered too late for the cheaper early bird price the waitress said "you didn't say the words 'early bird special' when you ordered" so you oay full price. Very surprised at lack of customer centric manner.. either ask the customer during order process since YOU know there are 2 prices possible, or assume if someone orders something on the early bird list, they want that price...... Net: future customers beware of that trick.... not sure I will ever go back. read more

I really wanted to like this place, mainly because there are simply so few decent places to eat near the resorts in this area ... But sadly the food was just far short of what I'd consider "good enough food that I'd want to come back and pay for". The French onion soup was not particularly good or palatable to be completely honest. The big disappointment was the shrimp scampi which was very pricey and just poor in terms of flavor and quality. The entire dish was watery and oddly lacking in any kind of real discernible flavor, which says a lot for a dish that can be often masked/carried by some simply good garlic action. This was just bad and not something worth remotely what the price was. The pizza was okay. Not nearly as bad as the soup or scampi but I wouldn't say this was amazing pizza either. It's pretty much a place that relies on tourists or some locals that don't want to venture far out or to AC for food. I actually thought the people here were all very friendly and the service was good. They just need to do a better job with the food. I would suggest if you're looking for food nearby, you might want to venture out further ... read more

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Overall it was a disappointing experience ... All sandwiches come with kettle chips - when asked what the up-charge would be for fries - our waiter told us "I have no idea - maybe 3 or 4 dollars." Our waiter could have been friendlier - the place was empty but he only came over once. The shrimp basket came with 4 shrimps and a small handful of overly cooked / burned shoe string fries and a small spoonful of coleslaw - for $15 - there should have been more food. It came with no condiments... I asked for honey mustard... I was not made aware it was $2 charge for it. The dining area had two flies - not a big deal but annoying ... when I walked into the bathroom I was greeted by a dozen fruit flies. read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - Shrimp basket - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

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Ambience is on point here. I love the way it feels and looks. Service friendly but slow as hell even with a empty restaurant. And no one once came to ask how our meal was AFTER we began eating. What is this with restaurants lately that no one asks how your meal is or if you need anything. I wanted red pepper seeds bc this spicy pizza I got wasn't spicy at all bc they were so cheap on the peppers. But I was never approached. It was like they were hiding somewhere. Burger tasteless and hard. Fries were over cooked and tasted like nothing Pizza - sounded so amazing on the menu that I changed my meal to get it and it was thick and bland like a frozen pizza crust. The crust was most of the pie. One of the toppings was long hots. There was barely a speck of peppers on these. I wanted to ask my servers for more but they never came back. Drink was good and good price. Took too long to get the check. Went to stand close to the servers so they would hurry up and print it. But still we waited. Why? There were three servers at least and like four tables occupied. Service - a 2 out of 5 Although polite, it just wasn't enough. We had shitty service. 10 min to get someone to the table. 10 min for the drinks. 20 min for the meal to come. 10 waiting for check and another 10 cash back. A lot of waiting. Worst is someone was training so we had two servers and this guy was def not training her well bc how do we make tips? By giving good service. Part of that service is asking if your customers need something after they have begun their meal. Or maybe if they are thirsty? A tip comes from taking the order correctly, checking on the customer to ensure satisfaction, cleaning table off in timely manner, being courteous and finally, bringing the check and not making customers wait. That's each of the five stars of service broke down ..... Not coming back here no matter how pretty it is.... read more

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Always have a special dinner with the family here. great food and exceptional service and they have a special space to accommodate more than 20 people! great selection too ! read more

A nice place. The layout is very odd as there aren't as many tables as you would expect but it is nice looking. Service was good too. I had the classic turkey dinner. I'd say the turkey and dressing were from a food service. Didn't taste like house made. Still pretty good. The wedding soup was very good. My wife had the chicken salad croissant. She liked it (and is very picky about chicken salad) and she thought the fries were great. read more

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Went here for breakfast on Sunday, 10/20/24 around 9:30 am with a friend. Nice place. The gentleman at the entrance was fairly pleasant (not really) while the girl he was standing there talking to took one look and walked away in a huff. Sorry to interrupt your "chat"! He sits us in the back of the restaurant. As we sit there, TWO groups came in after us (one couple and one family of about five) and were immediately greeted by servers and their drink/food orders taken. Nobody even acknowledged we were there nor said someone would be there to assist us. FINALLY, a lovely young woman came over, very apologetic about the wait and said nobody told her we were waiting. She was fantastic and I'm so sorry I didn't get her name (young woman, brunette in a ponytail with an adorable cherub looking face and perfect eyelashes! Lol!). She was truly Romanelli's saving grace because the other two servers were horrible. I have an associate who is very good friends with the owner and I will be sharing this experience with them. Please remind your servers that BASIC customer service is so important. A simple, "Someone will be right with you" goes a very long way. Nice place but the customer service is lacking...except for our server. I had the meat lovers skillet and my dining partner had the seafood skillet. Both very good but the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Do better. read more

Definitely a beautiful atmosphere although it was quite chilly to be comfortable, definitely friendly host/waitresses! Prices since my last visit have risen significantly and does not correlate with the food quality & presentations. We decided on a burger & a pasta dish. Burgers are always a great choice, right? Not true, my medium well was very well, absolutely no pink in sight. And when bright to my waitresses attention, she just smiled & left without even offering a resolution. It came with housemade chips that were ok, $14. A boring disappointment, as it wasn't hot or juicy to say the least. My friend ordered Cavatappi & Sausage, $26, Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Cannellini Beans, Oil & Garlic over cavatappi (macaroni). It was very dry and tasteless. Additional sauce was requested which took a while. The bread basket was decent but no parm or additional seasonings was presented. Would we choose this place again?....ABSOLUTELY NOT! read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - Where is the oil & garlic? - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

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While in town visiting my wife's brother Steve and his wife Arlene, they decided to take us to Romanelli's in Galloway, NJ for dinner. We called ahead to make reservations and it's a good thing we did because the place was crowed. Once seated, we were given some bread and our drinks. Kathey began with a salad with blue cheese dressing and I chose the spring mix with raspberry vinaigrette. The raspberry was a bit on the tart side for me but it was good. Our entrees had my wife getting the grilled ribeye with mashed taters and the asparagus. I chose the chicken franchisee over pasta with the lemon butter sauce. The food was great but again, the lemon sauce was a bit too tart for me. Glad we got to try this spot on a busy night. read more

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Romanelli's located in Linwood is a quaint little spot with a LARGE and diverse menu- it's almost a little overwhelming. I insisted we try the green bean fries with chipotle sauce. They traveled well, comes with a huge portion, and were crispy and delicious. J got the patty melt with beef, pepper jack cheese and fried onions. It was tasty! Unsure of what the sauce is they top it with, but I wasn't complaining about my bite. It was a sweet and tangy surprise. The sandwich came with waffle fries which could have used a few extra minutes in the air fryer. I got a wrap which came with grilled chicken, broccoli rabe, roasted red pepper and provolone. I loved that it stayed hot when I brought it home...but it was extremely wet and slimy on the outside which sorta made the experience of the wrap less enjoyable. I was hoping the slimy texture of the outside would have magically disappeared by the next day for leftovers, but sadly it remained. All-in-all I'd go back for more :) read more

I went with my family of four for dinner. The Italian entrees were big, so I shared eggplant parmigiana with my wife. It came with soup and bread, so we got an extra soup (French onion) and changed the pasta from spaghetti to pappardelle. The food was excellent. The server (Sharon) was kind and attentive. We really enjoyed our meal!! read more

It was my first time coming here in the morning after a 12 hour shift with my coworkers. The restaurant was very pretty and elegant with high ceilings. I did come back a second time in the same week. All of the servers I encountered were very kind and checked in on us multiple times. The service was great as well. I ordered the crabby benedict as my meal which I definitely recommend. We also did mimosas that come in any flavors you want. I will definitely keep coming back here. read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - crabby benedict - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

We have been coming to Romanelli's for many years. The food and the wait staff are fantastic

Now i remember why I stopped going here. Waited 10 minutes to be asked for my drink order by what looked like a busboy; the waitress passed us 2x with no acknowledgment. He said your server will be right with you and yet another 20 minutes passed and nothing. Paid bill which any other person would've left and neither the hostess or said busboy asked why we were leaving so quickly. Place wasn't even busy but I guess this is why. read more

Sunday on Memorial Day weekend and my family found ourselves out and about so why not grab some brunch. My wife saw this on Yelp soooo. Place looks nice, comfortable and interesting. Can smell the backed goods as you walk in the door. Friendly hostess asked table or booth and we were seated and ready. Great specials, good menu selection and they have scrapple. Not a long wait for the server and the coffee is ok. Now this is breakfast and it's hard to screw it up to bad, BUT I ordered the Italian omelette (it was ok), home fries well-done (they were not), rye toast and a side of scrapple. Now I know how scrabble is made and from what. This was bad enough I couldn't finish even half. My wife said her prime rib omelette was nothing to write home about but my son said his was great. 3 stars but we might come back. read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - Very comfortable - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

Now SOCIAL279.., Dined out alone & was seated at the bar, which was packed. Therefore, it was loud. Bartender was busy, yet when about half the bar cleared out, service was still so slow. I was seated near the corner of the bar, where the spot beside Sat emptied & not bussed the entire time I was there. I ordered the Big Wave pizza which was delicious & had the coastal grandmother drink; also delicious- @ $14/glass there's way TOO MUCH ICE. I needed silverware which I had to get from the hostess, given the bartender was his own bar back. Unbelievably the hosted placed my napkin, wrapped silverware right onto/directly next to the diet spot with its glass & napkin!!! Like SERIOUSLY. The bar by fat needs a second person working it. Otherwise the customer service skills could use improving. I plan on coming back for a girls night out in about 2 weeks. Hoping for a better experience with less wait time & hopefully attention to a bussed table. With only 1 bartender, the hostess should tidy up the bar spot PRIOR to seating patrons there. read more

We finally get to eat inside in New Jersey. Server provided outstanding service. There were quite a few flies inside but that's because they're serving in and out I get that part but Eggplant tower was delicious there is absolutely no complaints! BLT not so good bacon was burnt toast was extremely dry and the macaroni salad was extremely runny. Blueberry pancakes were OK the blueberry itself was a little tart in the home fries had absolutely no taste. The corn beef Ruben was OK the bread was grilled fine again just OK nothing special but the pasta salad was really gross If you know my ratings you know I always look at the bathroom it was very clean got no complaints Thx! read more

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Ahi tuna is amazing. You can't go wrong with this dish if you love tuna. Their features are always versatile and delicious as well. read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - Ahi Tuna - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

Absolutely love this restaurant! The staff is super nice, and very on top of everything! The food is the only thing that out does the staffs friendliness. It doesn't matter what you order you will absolutely love it! The owner is always making sure you feel welcome walking around and making sure that he takes his time to ensure you are completely satisfied and happy with the experience! I love this place did I mention that ?! read more

Delicious, fresh, healthy food. A variety of options for allergies including gluten free. Order ahead and pick up or eat outside. We ordered a few pizzas, a salad, soup and sandwich to go. The sandwich came with your choice of a side and you can chose a variety of wraps (white, wheat, etc). The chicken focaccia is a must try. It includes whole pieces of fresh mozzarella. read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - Chicken Focaccia Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

Our server was wonderful! The food was absolutely delicious from the appetizers, salad and meal. The mocha tequila martini was delicious and refreshing. Romanelli's is clean, beautifully decorated and refreshing. 5 Stars all the way! Definitely going back to try more of this fabulous food! Kim G. read more

With family living in the area, we have fairly frequently made a visit here over the years. The food is ordinary at best but the range of options allows everyone to find something without too much fuss and normally a 3 rating. The most recent experience has me stating I will never again step foot into this establishment ever again. We entered at the end of the brunch rush and found seating immediately with the 1 pm football games kicking off. Strike 1 came when it took almost an hour to deliver two waffles, two pancakes and a burger. If this order takes this long, someone somewhere is not doing their job. Strike 2 came when the food runner emerged from the kitchen with our tray. After having watched our waiter move about the room to many other tables, touching everything during normal transactions, he wiped his sweaty brow. As our tray turned the corner and met our waiter, he proceeded to use his fingers to pick up the pancakes ready to be delivered to our table. Not the plate, the pancakes. When I called out the action to our food runner, he said the waiter was checking them to make certain they were still warm. That told me two things, they were sitting out for a while and that they have zero knowledge of health codes. The pancakes were returned, and a new set delivered to our table late with the waiting stating he knew his actions were wrong. Strike 3 was when advised at the time of billing there was a 4% credit card surcharge. This was a need during COVID and should permanently go away. But more importantly, this is another revenue source for them as they are marking up the Visa charge as another revenue stream and should be deemed illegal. This is precisely the practice that has laws being considered to limit surcharges so that they are not used as revenue opportunities in NJ. read more

Wow, this place was awesome. Went here for lunch and had a great experience. Food was excellent. Lunch Alfredo pasta was one of the best I've ever tasted, the crab cake was large and filling and the kids spaghetti and chicken fingers were perfect for them. Server was new but nice. Awesome set up outside. read more

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We come here a year when we're staying at the Marriott Fairway Villas. The food is consistently good especially for the price. My husband's ahi tuna was good as was his mac n' cheese. My Waldorf sandwich was good but could have used a bit more mayo. The service was good and the ambiance is pub-like. Bc read more

Excellant food and service. Stopped by for a pre dinner wine and appetizer. They have a nice selection of wine, beer and cocktails. The bartender was. Very friendly and attentive. We ordered a flatbread with grilled chicken. It was excellent and nicely presently on a board. read more

Great food!!!! Always the same!! We hadn't been there in a few years. (Due to moving to a different township) But when we returned we realized we needed to add this place to 'our list' once again read more

First off, the waitress was very pleasant and helpful. As for the food......I ordered the meat lovers skillet. Like I said in the pictures, it should of been call batter loving an oil bath. Underneath the eggs were like a piece of bacon and 1/2 of 1/2 piece of sausage. The home fries that were not fully cooked, they were in a sea of oil. I was so disgusted at that point. We told the manager what we found and showed him the oil. He agreed with us and said I'll give a discount. He only gave a $2.25 discount. 2nd, there was a 15% off whole receipt when checked in. The manager would not honor it because of it being July 4th. I would not to come here. read more

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We stopped for breakfast. Although good quality food, nice atmosphere, and a friendly waiter...my order of an 'all veggie skillet' came with a skillet full of potatoes and very little veggies. Where were the squashes as listed on menu? Spinach showed up that was not even listed. Chef's, that is a problem for someone with allergies. Promised refills on coffee never came. And our check never did come! Never saw our waiter again. One more thing, too many flies flying around. No one want to see those! Garden Cafe', these are easy fixes. I know you can do better! read more

This is my 5th visit here. Birthday party going on and apparently understaffed. Our waitress is doing double duty and it's affecting our service. Put in order for appetizers and dinner. People came in after us, sat at the bar and got their food before our appetizers arrived. It doesn't take long to make an order of wings. At this point, the service is questionable. It's not the waitresss fault; she's just overwhelmed and trying hard. And... the appetizer was delivered with the meal. That is totally unacceptable! My wife ordered a personal pizza- 16 inch- with NO plate. I would like to get my food wrapped to take home- those portions uneaten- but I have not seen a waitress in 30 minutes. Ok- it is her fault. She's terrible. This visit was a big disappointment. I may have experienced why I see few cars outside when I drive by in recent weeks. Food - it's what you'd expect although the limoncello wings sucked. My burger was good. Wife's pizza was not the worst, not the best. read more

Wonderful happy hour into dinner The hostess greeted me , as if I was family, which is what I'm also missing as much as food when I'm hungry; I happened to sense the energy was at the bar , and was immediately seated there & served quickly; tasty selection which I devoured while cordially greeting the folks to my right & left, who were both two seats away, but very pleasant ; Meatballs , grandma's, I think , evenly, cooked & tasty as a culture & protein jolt ; the red snapper special written on the skateboard by the door was cooked & served , which I'm eating the left-overs from while writing this review, prepared coked simply, still juicy, exactly the way I asked for it ; I was happy to add sparkling water sitting at the bar, which is not my usual choice, but it turned out a fine one at Romanelli's Garden Cafe, which I see on my phone are related to another Romanelli's and Zorro's in Ventnor ! read more

I don't mean to seem dramatic but I came to Romanelli to get some food we sat down and it took them 15 minutes to give us water and that was after we had to flag down a server and get up multiple times then after that, it took not about 20 minutes to get us a menu and then the server came back in like 30 minutes to get our order menu back back with her so we and a few other tables whos menus didn't get collected either started stacking table next to us after a full hour our food still wasn't there so eventually we flagged down our server again and ask what the problem is and she told us that a party of 14 had came like that is any type of excuse for making us wait this damn long fries pork roll and a omlette we already had plans for the day and this had set back our plans drastically if you're in a hurry, never stop at Romanelli's and then after we had already asked her to box our food she comes out with it on dishes. and said it's ready. at that point, we said forget it we're paying for our orange juice only and left. A party of 14 should never have stopped a restaurant from being able to function altogether. Obviously, this was some type of lack of intelligence or just common sense. read more

Nice place to stop for lunch on Route 9 in Galloway. The Berry Berry Sangria was off the charts good. It's a nice, small, bright restaurant with good food at a reasonable price. I mentioned it's small, and we did have to wait a bit for a table on an overcast Saturday in early May a little before noon. My Mediterranean salad was decent, with juicy, plump shrimp and a bit too meager dollop of crabmeat. My honey's turkey club was huge, but he'd have liked more mayo on it, so he should've asked for it. I had two of the worlds sweetest sangrias, he had soda, and the whole thing rang in around $34 excluding tip. This was with the 15% Yelp check-in discount, which was a pleasant surprise. read more

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Romanelli's is such a cute breakfast spot. The staff are always very kind, and I love going there. As a 20-something, it's the perfect place to go with my friends/peers OR with my family! My grandma loves going to Romanelli's for breakfast! The food is always delicious and the staff is the best. One time, our waiter saw I was chewing ice and brought me an extra cup of just ice without me asking. It's also just a very cute place with a great ambiance. Great natural lighting. Very cute for instagram pictures!! read more

We came here to celebrate our daughter's 21st birthday with birthday breakfast and a mimosa! Our Waiter, Ben, was spectacular. The food was great, the service was impeccable and the mimosas were fantastic. Cute place highly recommend! read more

We had an amazing breakfast. My friend had waffles with bananas, strawberries, and whipped cream and she loved it . I had the Romanelli's omelette made with mozzarella cheese, onions and peppers with a huge side of roasted potatoes also with peppers and onions. The Italian seasoning was subtle and delicious! We will go back again and we highly recommend it. The servers were friendly and very attentive. read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - Waffles with strawberries and bananas - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

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I been hearing about this place and finally was able to check it out. It's so cute inside. Very spacious to abide by Covid restrictions. Every employee had on a mask. The menu is very large and they also have a full bar. It was breakfast, so I had to try their eggs Benedict. It was to die for! They had a special buy one mimosa get one for a dollar. Our waiter was very helpful and friendly. Definitely can't wait to come back! read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

I haven't been here in awhile, but when I did eat here, it was spectacular. I got the New York Strip steak served with mixed vegetables and macaroni and cheese. The steak was cooked to absolute perfection and looked beautiful. Just look at those grill marks! The vegetables were absolutely incredible and in a generous portion. There were bell peppers, carrots, onions, zucchini, broccoli, and green beans in the beautiful veggie medley. Then, the Mac and cheese was served in its own mini casserole dish and was also delicious. The portions were extremely generous and the food was tasty. I'd definitely go back and order this again! I believe it also came with a salad. read more

Romanelli's Garden Cafe - New York strip with vegetables - Italian Near Me - Galloway, New Jersey

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First, we called and asked if they had a happy hour on Friday, we were told yes. We arrived, the waitress informed us, with an attitude that's incorrect. I ordered crabcakes and when it arrived, I asked for cocktail sauce. Again our waitress, who had a personality of a snail, charged us .50 cents, Really! Food average at best, service horrible, decor, felt like I was sitting at a diner, Oh by the way, they deleted my Facebook review, so ignore the positive reviews, probably all family, Never going back read more